Bobby G. Whiteside, Timothy H. Bonner, and Chad Thomas (Photograph by Carolyn Whiteside)
*Note, the website linked above is an archived version of what is below. The linked website has not been updated since 2013, using the Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, 6th edition (Nelson et al. 2004). Below is an updated version of the website, using Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, 8th edition (Page et al. 2023). This is an ongoing project and updates will be made often to align with the latest version of American Fisheries Society’s naming.
Permission is given for the use of text or photographs for non-commercial, educational, or scientific purposes. Please credit the following individuals and literature listed below:
Text by Carla Hassan-Williams and Timothy H. Bonner. Photographs by Chad Thomas.
Texas State University-San Marcos Biology Department / Aquatic Station
The majority of images on this website are taken from:
Freshwater Fishes of Texas: A Field Guide by Chad Thomas, Timothy H. Bonner, and Bobby G. Whiteside
Texas A&M Press 2007
Contact Texas A&M Press if interested in purchasing copyrighted photographs for commercial, non-educational, or non-scientific use. TAMU Press: For subrights and permissions, contact lls@tampress.tamu.edu
Family |
Species |
Common Name |
Petromyzontidae |
Ichthyomyzon castaneus | Chestnut Lamprey |
| Ichthyomyzon gagei | Southern Brook Lamprey | |
Acipenseridae |
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus | Shovelnose Sturgeon |
Polyodontidae |
Polyodon spathula | Paddlefish |
Lepisosteidae |
Atractosteus spatula | Alligator Gar |
| Lepisosteus oculatus | Spotted Gar | |
| Lepisosteus osseus | Longnose Gar | |
| Lepisosteus platostomus | Shortnose Gar | |
Amiidae |
Amia ocellicauda | Emerald Bowfin |
Anguillidae |
Anguilla rostrata | American Eel |
Hiodontidae |
Hiodon alosoides | Goldeye |
Dorosomatidae |
Dorosoma cepedianum | Gizzard Shad |
| Dorosoma petenense | Threadfin Shad | |
Catostomidae |
Carpiodes carpio | River Carpsucker |
| Cycleptus elongatus | Blue Sucker | |
| Erimyzon claviformis | Western Creek Chubsucker | |
| Erimyzon sucetta | Lake Chubsucker | |
| Ictiobus bubalus | Smallmouth Buffalo | |
| Ictiobus cyprinellus | Bigmouth Buffalo | |
| Ictiobus niger | Black Buffalo | |
| Minytrema melanops | Spotted Sucker | |
| Moxostoma austrinum | Mexican Redhorse | |
| Moxostoma congestum | Gray Redhorse | |
| Moxostoma erythrurum | Golden Redhorse | |
| Moxostoma poecilurum | Blacktail Redhorse | |
Cyprinidae |
Carassius auratus | Goldfish |
| Cyprinus carpio | Common carp | |
Xenocyprinidae |
Ctenopharyngodon idella | Grass Carp |
| Hypophthalmichthys nobilis | Bighead Carp | |
Leuciscidae |
Alburnops bairdi | Red River Shiner |
| Alburnops blennius | River Shiner | |
| Alburnops braytoni | Tamaulipas Shiner | |
| Alburnops buccula | Smalleye Shiner | |
| Alburnops chalybaeus | Ironcolor Shiner | |
| Alburnops girardi | Arkansas River Shiner | |
| Alburnops orca* | Phantom Shiner | |
| Alburnops potteri | Chub Shiner | |
| Alburnops texanus | Weed Shiner | |
| Campostoma anomalum | Central Stoneroller | |
| Campostoma ornatum | Mexican Stoneroller | |
| Cyprinella lepida | Plateau Shiner | |
| Cyprinella lutrensis | Red Shiner | |
| Cyprinella proserpina | Proserpine Shiner | |
| Cyprinella venusta | Blacktail Shiner | |
| Dionda argentosa | Manantial Roundnose Minnow | |
| Dionda diaboli | Devils River Minnow | |
| Dionda episcopa | Roundnose Minnow | |
| Dionda nigrotaeniata | Guadalupe Roundnose Minnow | |
| Dionda serena | Nueces Roundnose Minnow | |
| Gila pandora | Rio Grande Chub | |
| Hybognathus amarus | Rio Grande Silvery Minnow | |
| Hybognathus hayi | Cypress Minnow | |
| Hybognathus nuchalis | Mississippi Silvery Minnow | |
| Hybognathus placitus | Plains Minnow | |
| Hybopsis amnis | Pallid Shiner | |
| Luxilus chrysocephalus | Striped Shiner | |
| Lythrurus fumeus | Ribbon Shiner | |
| Lythrurus umbratilis | Redfin Shiner | |
| Macrhybopsis aestivalis | Speckled Chub | |
| Macrhybopsis australis | Prairie Chub | |
| Macrhybopsis hyostoma | Shoal Chub | |
| Macrhybopsis marconis | Burrhead Chub | |
| Macrhybopsis storeriana | Silver Chub | |
| Macrhybopsis tetranema | Peppered Chub | |
| Miniellus chihuahua | Chihuahua Shiner | |
| Miniellus sabinae | Sabine Shiner | |
| Miniellus stramineus | Sand Shiner | |
| Notemigonus crysoleucas | Golden Shiner | |
| Notropis amabilis | Texas Shiner | |
| Notropis atherinoides | Emerald Shiner | |
| Notropis atrocaudalis | Blackspot Shiner | |
| Notropis jemezanus | Rio Grande Shiner | |
| Notropis maculatus | Taillight Shiner | |
| Notropis megalops | West Texas Shiner | |
| Notropis oxyrhynchus | Sharpnose Shiner | |
| Notropis simus | Bluntnose Shiner | |
| Opsopoeodus emiliae | Pugnose Minnow | |
| Paranotropis buchanani | Ghost Shiner | |
| Paranotropis shumardi | Silverband Shiner | |
| Paranotropis volucellus | Mimic Shiner | |
| Phenacobius mirabilis | Suckermouth Minnow | |
| Pimephales promelas | Fathead Minnow | |
| Pimephales vigilax | Bullhead Minnow | |
| Platygobio gracilis | Flathead Chub | |
| Pteronotropis hubbsi | Bluehead Shiner | |
| Rhinichthys cataractae | Longnose Dace | |
| Semotilus atromaculatus | Creek Chub | |
Characidae |
Astyanax argentatus | Texas Tetra |
Ictaluridae |
Ameiurus melas | Black Bullhead |
| Ameiurus natalis | Yellow Bullhead | |
| Ameiurus nebulosus | Brown Bullhead | |
| Ictalurus furcatus | Blue Catfish | |
| Ictalurus lupus | Headwater Catfish | |
| Ictalurus punctatus | Channel Catfish | |
| Noturus gyrinus | Tadpole Madtom | |
| Noturus nocturnus | Freckled Madtom | |
| Pylodictis olivaris | Flathead Catfish | |
| Prietella phreatophila | Mexican Blindcat | |
| Satan eurystomus | Widemouth Blindcat | |
| Trogloglanis pattersoni | Toothless Blindcat | |
Loricariidae |
Hypostomus plecostomus | Suckermouth Catfish |
| Pterygoplichthys anisitsi | Southern Sailfin Catfish | |
| Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus | Vermiculated Sailfin Catfish | |
Esocidae |
Esox americanus | Redfin Pickerel |
| Esox niger | Chain Pickerel | |
Salmonidae |
Oncorhynchus clarkii | Cutthroat Trout |
| Oncorhynchus mykiss | Rainbow Trout | |
Aphredoderidae |
Aphredoderus sayanus | Pirate Perch |
Syngnathidae |
Syngnathus scovelli | Gulf Pipefish |
Gobiidae |
Awaous banana | River Goby |
| Gobiosoma bosc | Naked Goby | |
Achiridae |
Trinectes maculatus | Hogchoker |
Cichlidae |
Herichthys cyanoguttatus | Rio Grande Cichlid |
| Oreochromis aureus | Blue Tilapia | |
| Oreochromis mossambicus | Mozambique Tilapia | |
Atherinopsidae |
Labidesthes sicculus | Brook Silverside |
| Membras martinica | Rough Silverside | |
| Menidia audens | Mississippi Silverside | |
Fundulidae |
Fundulus blairae | Western Starhead Topminnow |
| Fundulus chrysotus | Golden Topminnow | |
| Fundulus grandis | Gulf Killifish | |
| Fundulus kansae | Northern Plains Killifish | |
| Fundulus notatus | Blackstripe Topminnow | |
| Fundulus olivaceus | Blackspotted Topminnow | |
| Fundulus zebrinus | Plains Killifish | |
| Lucania goodei | Bluefin Killifish | |
| Lucania parva | Rainwater Killifish | |
Cyprinodontidae |
Cyprinodon bovinus | Leon Springs Pupfish |
| Cyprinodon elegans | Comanche Springs Pupfish | |
| Cyprinodon eximius | Conchos Pupfish | |
| Cyprinodon pecosensis | Pecos Pupfish | |
| Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis | Red River Pupfish | |
| Cyprinodon variegatus | Sheepshead Minnow | |
Poeciliidae |
Gambusia affinis | Western Mosquitofish |
| Gambusia amistadensis* | Amistad Gambusia | |
| Gambusia gaigei | Big Bend Gambusia | |
| Gambusia geiseri | Largespring Gambusia | |
| Gambusia georgei* | San Marcos Gambusia | |
| Gambusia heterochir | Clear Creek Gambusia | |
| Gambusia krumholzi | Spotfin Gambusia | |
| Gambusia nobilis | Pecos Gambusia | |
| Gambusia senilis | Blotched Gambusia | |
| Gambusia speciosa | Tex-Mex Gambusia | |
| Heterandria formosa | Least Killifish | |
| Poecilia formosa | Amazon Molly | |
| Poecilia latipinna | Sailfin Molly | |
| Poecilia reticulata | Guppy | |
| Xiphophorus hellerii | Green Swordtail | |
| Xiphophorus variatus | Variable Platyfish | |
Mugilidae |
Dajaus monticola | Mountain Mullet |
| Mugil cephalus | Striped Mullet | |
Centrarchidae |
Ambloplites rupestris | Rock Bass |
| Centrarchus macropterus | Flier | |
| Lepomis aquilensis | Plains Longear Sunfish | |
| Lepomis auritus | Redbreast Sunfish | |
| Lepomis cyanellus | Green Sunfish | |
| Lepomis gulosus | Warmouth | |
| Lepomis humilis | Orangespotted Sunfish | |
| Lepomis macrochirus | Bluegill | |
| Lepomis marginatus | Dollar Sunfish | |
| Lepomis microlophus | Redear Sunfish | |
| Lepomis miniatus | Redspotted Sunfish | |
| Lepomis symmetricus | Bantam Sunfish | |
| Micropterus dolomieu | Smallmouth Bass | |
| Micropterus nigricans | Largemouth Bass | |
| Micropterus punctulatus | Spotted Bass | |
| Micropterus salmoides | Florida Bass | |
| Micropterus treculii | Guadalupe Bass | |
| Pomoxis annularis | White Crappie | |
| Pomoxis nigromaculatus | Black Crappie | |
Elassomatidae |
Elassoma zonatum | Banded Pygmy Sunfish |
Moronidae |
Morone chrysops | White Bass |
| Morone mississippiensis | Yellow Bass | |
| Morone saxatilis | Striped Bass | |
Percidae |
Ammocrypta clara | Western Sand Darter |
| Ammocrypta vivax | Scaly Sand Darter | |
| Etheostoma asprigene | Mud Darter | |
| Etheostoma artesiae | Redspot Darter | |
| Etheostoma chlorosoma | Bluntnose Darter | |
| Etheostoma fonticola | Fountain Darter | |
| Etheostoma fusiforme | Swamp Darter | |
| Etheostoma gracile | Slough Darter | |
| Etheostoma grahami | Rio Grande Darter | |
| Etheostoma histrio | Harlequin Darter | |
| Etheostoma lepidum | Greenthroat Darter | |
| Etheostoma parvipinne | Goldstripe Darter | |
| Etheostoma proeliare | Cypress Darter | |
| Etheostoma radiosum | Orangebelly Darter | |
| Etheostoma spectabile | Orangethroat Darter | |
| Etheostoma thompsoni | Gumbo Darter | |
| Percina apristis | Guadalupe Darter | |
| Percina caprodes | Logperch | |
| Percina carbonaria | Texas Logperch | |
| Percina macrolepida | Bigscale Logperch | |
| Percina maculata | Blackside Darter | |
| Percina phoxocephala | Slenderhead Darter | |
| Percina sciera | Dusky Darter | |
| Percina shumardi | River Darter | |
| Sander vitreus | Walleye | |
Sciaenidae |
Aplodinotus grunniens | Freshwater Drum |