List of fishes of Indiana

The state of Indiana is home to 208 species of fishes that inhabit its rivers, lakes, and streams that make up five watersheds. Indiana is the state with the most fish species of any state north of the Ohio River and includes Great Lakes species.

Native fishes taxa

Status is determined from IUCN data in a global context. Classifications include critically endangered Template:IUCN status, endangered Template:IUCN status, vulnerable Template:IUCN status, near-threatened Template:IUCN status, and least concern Template:IUCN status.

Common name	Scientific name	Picture	Status
Lampreys	Petromyzontiformes (order)
	Petromyzontidae (family)
Chestnut lamprey	Icthyomyzon castaneus		Template:IUCN status
Northern brook lamprey	Icthyomyzon fossor		Template:IUCN status
American brook lamprey	Lampetra appendix		Template:IUCN status
Sturgeons and paddlefish	Acipenseriformes (order)
	Acipenseridae (family)
Lake sturgeon	Acipenser fulvescens		Template:IUCN status
Shovelnose sturgeon	Scaphirhynchus platorynchus		Template:IUCN status
	Polyodontidae (family)
American paddlefish	Polyodon spathula		Template:IUCN status
Bowfin	Amiiformes (order)
	Amiidae (family)
Bowfin	Amia calva		Template:IUCN status
Mooneyes	Hiodontiformes (order)
	Hiodontidae (family)
Goldeye	Hiodon alosoides		Template:IUCN status
Mooneye	Hiodon tergisus		Template:IUCN status
Eels	Anguilliformes (order)
	Anguillidae (family)
American eel	Anguilla rostrata		Template:IUCN status
Carps, minnows, and relatives	Cypriniformes (order)
	Cyprinidae (family)
Southern redbelly dace	Chrosomus erythrogaster		Template:IUCN status
Gizzard shad	Dorosoma cepedianum		Template:IUCN status
Cypress minnow	Hybognathus hayi	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Bigeye chub	Hybopsis amblops		Template:IUCN status
Golden shiner	Notemigonus crysoleucas		Template:IUCN status
Striped shiner	Luxilus chrysocephalus		Template:IUCN status
Blackchin shiner	Notropis heterodon		Template:IUCN status
Silverjaw minnow	Notropis buccatus		Template:IUCN status
Bigeye shiner	Notropis boops	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Pallid shiner	Hybopsis amnis	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Shoal chub	Machybopsis hyostoma		Template:IUCN status
Pugnose shiner	Notropis anogenus	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Emerald shiner	Notropis atherinoides		Template:IUCN status
Ghost shiner	Notropis buchanani		Template:IUCN status
Ironcolor shiner	Notropis chalybaeus		Template:IUCN status
Rosyface shiner	Notropis rubellus		Template:IUCN status
Weed shiner	Notropis teanus	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Mimic shiner	Notropis volucellus		Template:IUCN status
Popeye shiner	Notropis ariommus		Template:IUCN status
Suckermouth minnow	Phenacobius mirabilis		Template:IUCN status
Bluntnose minnow	Pimphales notalus		Template:IUCN status
Pugnose minnow	Opsopoedus emiliae		Template:IUCN status
Fathead minnow	Pimephales promelas		Template:IUCN status
Bullhead minnow	Pimephales vigilax		Template:IUCN status
Western blacknose dace	Rhinichthys obtusus		Template:IUCN status
Longnose dace	Rhinichthys cataractae		Template:IUCN status
	Catostomidae (family)
White sucker	Catostomus commersonii		Template:IUCN status
Blue sucker	Cycleptus elongatus		Template:IUCN status
Bigmouth buffalo	Ictiobus cyprinellus		Template:IUCN status
Smallmouth buffalo	Ictiobus bubalus		Template:IUCN status
Black buffalo	Ictiobus niger		Template:IUCN status
Spotted sucker	Minytrema melanops		Template:IUCN status
River redhorse	Moxostoma carinatum		Template:IUCN status
Harelip sucker	Moxostoma lacerum	N/A	Extinct
Catfishes	Siluriformes (order)
	Ictaluridae (family)
Blue catfish	Ictalurus furcatus		Template:IUCN status
Channel catfish	Ictalurus punctatus		Template:IUCN status
Black bullhead	Ameiurus melas		Template:IUCN status
Yellow bullhead	Ameirus natalis		Template:IUCN status
Stonecat	Notorus flavus		Template:IUCN status
Flathead catfish	Pylodicitis olivaris		Template:IUCN status
Pikes and Mudminnows	Esociformes (order)
	Esocidae (family)
Muskellunge	Esox masquinongy		Template:IUCN status
Northern pike	Esox lucius		Template:IUCN status
Salmon, Trout, Chars. Freshwater Whitefishes, Graylings	Salmoniformes (order)
	Salmonidae (family)
Chinook salmon	Oncorhyncous tshawytscya
Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar		Template:IUCN status
Brown trout	Salmo trutta		Template:IUCN status
Brook trout	Salvelinus fonrtinalis		Template:IUCN status
Lake trout	Salvelinus namaycush
Toothcarps	Cyprinodontiformes (order)
	Fundulidae (family)
Banded killifish	Fundulus diaphanus		Template:IUCN status
Blackstrip topminnow	Fundulus notatus	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Northern studfish	Fundulus catenatus		Template:IUCN status
Mail-cheeked fishes	Scopaeniformes (order)
	Cottidae (family)
Banded sculpin	Cottus carolinae		Template:IUCN status
Mottled sculpin	Cottus bairdii		Template:IUCN status
Slimy sculpin	Cottus cognatus		Template:IUCN status
Deepwater sculpin	Myoxocephalus thompsonii		Template:IUCN status
Sunfishes and perches	Perciformes (order)
	Centrarchidae (family)
Green sunfish	Lepomis cyanellus		Template:IUCN status
Orangespotted sunfish	Lepomis humilis		Template:IUCN status
Bluegill	Lepomis marochirus		Template:IUCN status
Redspotted sunfish	Lepomis microlophus	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Northern sunfish	Lepomis peltastes	N/A
Smallmouth bass	Micropterus dolomieu		Template:IUCN status
Largemouth bass	Micropterus salmoides		Template:IUCN status
Black crappie	Pomoxis nigromaculatus		Template:IUCN status
White crappie	Pomoxis annularis		Template:IUCN status
	Percidae (family)
Walleye	Sander vitreus		Template:IUCN status
Sauger	Sander canadensis		Template:IUCN status
Yellow perch	Perca flavescens		Template:IUCN status
Logperch	Percina caprodes		Template:IUCN status
Stargazing darter	Percina uranidea	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Channel darter	Percina copelandi		Template:IUCN status
Gilt darter	Percina evides		Template:IUCN status
Dusky darter	Percina sciera		Template:IUCN status
River darter	Percina shumardi		Template:IUCN status
Tippecanoe darter	Etheostoma tippecanoe		Template:IUCN status
Spottail darter	Etheostoma squamiceps		Template:IUCN status
Banded darter	Etheostoma zonale		Template:IUCN status
Johnny darter	Etheostoma nigrum		Template:IUCN status
Iowa darter	Etheostoma exile		Template:IUCN status
Western sand darter	Ammocrypta clara	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Eastern sand darter	Ammocrypta pellucida		Template:IUCN status
Mud darter	Etheostoma asprigene		Template:IUCN status
Rainbow darter	Etheostoma caeruleum		Template:IUCN status
Fantail darter	Etheostoma flabellare		Template:IUCN status
Harlequin darter	Etheostoma histrio		Template:IUCN status
Least darter	Etheosoma microperca		Template:IUCN status
Cypress darter	Etheostoma proeliare	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Bluebreast darter	Etheostoma camurum		Template:IUCN status
Bluntnose darter	Etheostoma chlorosoma	N/A
Orangethroat darter	Etheostoma spectabile		Template:IUCN status
Variegate darter	Etheostoma variatum		Template:IUCN status
	Moronidae (family)
Yellow bass	Morone mississippiensis		Template:IUCN status
White bass	Morone chrysops		Template:IUCN status
Gobies	Gobiiformes (order)
	Gobiidae (family)
Round goby	Neogobius melanostomus		Template:IUCN status

Exotic or introduced taxa

Common name	Scientific name	Picture	Status
Lamprey	Petromyzontiformes (order)
	Petromyzontidae (family)
Sea lamprey	Petromyzon marinus		Template:IUCN status
Herring	Clupeiformes (order)
	Clupeidae (family)
Alewife	Alosa pseudoharengus		Template:IUCN status
Threadfin shad	Dorosoma petenense		Template:IUCN status
Carps, minnows, and relatives	Cypriniformes (order)
	Cyprinidae (family)
Goldfish	Carassius auratus		Template:IUCN status
Grass carp	Ctenopharyngodon idella
Red shiner	Cyprinella lutrensis		Template:IUCN status
Carp	Cyprinus carpio
Silver carp	Hypophthalmichthys molitrix		Template:IUCN status
Bighead carp	Hypophthalmichthys nobilis
Rudd	Scardinius erythrophthalmus	N/A	Template:IUCN status
Catfish	Siluriformes (order)
	Ictaluridae (family)
White catfish	Ameiurus catus		Template:IUCN status
Salmon, trout, chars. freshwater Whitefishes, graylings	Salmoniformes (order)
	Osmeridae (family)
Rainbow smelt	Osmerus mordax		Template:IUCN status
	Salmonidae (family)
Coho salmon	Oncorhyncus kitsutch
Rainbow trout	Oncorhyncus mykiss
Chinook salmon	Oncorhyncous tshawytscya
Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar		Template:IUCN status
Brown trout	Salmno trutta		Template:IUCN status
Silversides	Atheriniformes (order)
	Atherinidae (family)
Inland silverside	Menidia beryllina		Template:IUCN status
Mullets	Mugiliformes (order)
	Mugilidae (family)
Striped mullet	Mugil cephalus		Template:IUCN status
Sticklebacks	Gasterosteiformes (order)
	Gasterosteidae (family)
Threespine stickleback	Gasterosteus aculeatus		Template:IUCN status
Sunfishes and Perches	Perciformes (order)
	Moronidae (family)
White perch	Morone americana		Template:IUCN status
Striped bass	Morone saxatilis		Template:IUCN status
Gobies	Gobiiformes (order)
	Gobiidae (family)
Round goby	Neogobius melanostomus		Template:IUCN status

References

• Hay, Oliver Perry. "The lampreys and fishes of Indiana." William B. Burford, Contractor for State Printing and Binding, 1894.
• Jacquemin, Stephen J., and Mark Pyron. "Fishes of Indiana streams: current and historic assemblage structure." Hydrobiologia 665.1 (2011): 39-50.
• Jordan, David S. "On the fishes of northern Indiana." Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1877): 42-82.
• “Native Fish of Indiana.” Indiana Wildlife Federation, 2020, www.indianawildlife.org/wildlife/native-fish-of-indiana/.
• Nelson, Joseph S., and Shelby Delos Gerking. Annotated key to the fishes of Indiana. Department of Zoology, Indiana University, 1968.
• Simon, Thomas P. Fishes of Indiana: a field guide. Indiana University Press, 2011.
• Simon, T.P., Whitaker, Jr., J.O., Castrale, J.S. and S.A. Minton. 2002. Revised checklist of the vertebrates of Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science.
• 111(2): 182-214.
• “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.” IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, www.iucnredlist.org/.
• “USFWS National Digital Library.” USFWS, digitalmedia.fws.gov/.