Help me identify my mystery Driveway fish

[TheAmlinals]

Maybe you can email a pic to the local Fish and Game Department for your state and ask them!

That's a good idea, I wouldn't have thought of that.

 

[thursyanna]

Has anyone suggested an Otocinclus Catfish? He kind of looks like this picture to me.
Stupid picture won't load but google that.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Be careful if you email to fish and game.. it's possible that you're illegally housing a fish.

Knowing your general location would be helpful, as fish native to Florida are going to vary drastically from those found naturally in wyoming.

 

[Autumnsky]

Yikes, didn't think of that!

 

[TheAmlinals]

Be careful if you email to fish and game.. it's possible that you're illegally housing a fish.

Knowing your general location would be helpful, as fish native to Florida are going to vary drastically from those found naturally in wyoming.

Yeah good point. Funny world we live in, where its ok to kill and eat the wildlife, but not love and care for them. :/
Anyways, location is southern Ontario Canada. Basically where the Detroit River meets Lake Erie.

 

[owen0992]

I'd say some sort of chub species. His back curving down towards his head combined with his mouth being more angled towards the ground suggests a bottom feeder. not exactly sure what kind though

 

[echoezra]

bringing this thread back with fresh pictures, still wondering...

Hi there, I am TheAmlinals, I just had trouble logging in with my old account recently so had to make a new one.
Still wondering what kind of fish my buddy Driveway is, hoping maybe now tjat he's a year older and bigger, and maybe some fresh pictures might help someone ID the little guy, cause he's been coming out more and it would be nice to know what he's supposed to look like so I could see if he looks normal or sick, as a couple of my other guys have been having some issues lately.
So, any ideas, let me hear 'em.

 

[echoezra]

Here is the clearest shot I got today.

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[echoezra]

And then here's one of his face from the front. If you can zoom in, you'll notice perfectly evenly spaced rows of white dots, these are only on the front of his face, nowhere else. I'm not sure if that's an identifying mark of his species, or possibly a symptom of something wrong with him. :/

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[Autumnsky]

Following along on the edge of my seat. Were you able to check with any local wildlife officials?
Or any local reference books???

 

[echoezra]

Haha. No, I didn't end up doing that. I was hoping maybe he'd grow into some distinguishing features. Guess not then?

 

[Autumnsky]

Not from me, sorry. I would check with the local field guides and even the fishing departments manuals of local game fish. Maybe a college natural science professor.

 

[KimAnnKitz]

I just happened upon this thread. I am so interested to see if you find out what he is. I can't believe that you found a fish in your driveway! I have a small creek behind my house so I wouldn't be horribly surprised to find one, but it would be some type of minnow. That doesn't look like any other minnow I've ever seen. I'll follow to see if you ever find out. Neat that he has lived so long too.

 

[jwh0818]

Im highly interested in seeing what this fish turns out to be. Have you looked through the native species to your location yet?

 

[GodFan]

Maybe its a disfigured minnow? The hunchback? Lol

 

[jwh0818]

I was looking around and the hump kinda reminds me of the hump salmon get?

 

[echoezra]

I've done some googling but so far haven't come across any pictures that come close enough. I haven't found anything like a local field guide though. I honestly have no idea what I'm looking for to narrow it down so it's hard. If he's deformed, well. I guess we'll probably never know then. :/
I've put his pictures up on facebook and nobody knows. My dad has checked him out a few times and he used to fish here all the time for years so he's seen a lot of different fish in the local river and lake, and bait, and he's at a complete loss too. Waiting for an uncle to check out the Facebook pictures, he's from a couple hours north of here but he's done a lot of fishing too. I'll for sure let you guys know if I get any good guesses.

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[Mattyfelts]

Hey, someone from Amherst! haha im from windsor/tecumseh but got family by you. I am definitely interested in this. Good idea catching it and keeping it! I dont recognize it at all!

 

[ArtistGardener]

Has his dorsal fin always been bent over and dark like that? Between the darkening, slightly humped back and the fin, he looks like he may have some health issues if he is a shiner of some type. It is a very tiny chance, but he could be a cutlip minnow (not likely as they are threatened).

Cutlip Minnow - Ontario Government, Ministry of Natural Resources

 

[ArtistGardener]

He is more likely a fathead minnow. The spots on his face are probably tubercles (they show up in breeding season, as does the darker pigment). I grew up in a serious fishing family, so minnows kind of interest me (geek alert). Scroll down through this link. It is a Wisconsin site but Ontario has many of the same fishes.

Fishes of Wisconsin