Lake Superior Fish Species

NavigateNative Species (38)
     in Lake Superior		 NavigateNon-Native Species (21)
     in Lake Superior Basin		 NavigateAll Species (89)
     in Lake Superior Basin


Native Fish in Lake Superior (38)

Family Common Name Scientific Name Nativity Also Known As
Acipenseridae lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens Native
Catastomidae longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus Native
Catastomidae white sucker Catostomus commersoni Native
Catastomidae silver redhorse Moxostoma anisurum Native
Catastomidae shorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum Native
Centrarchidae rock bass Ambloplites rupestris Native
Centrarchidae smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui Native
Cottidae slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus Native
Cottidae spoonhead sculpin Cottus ricei Native
Cottidae fourhorn sculpin Myoxocephalus quadricornis Native deepwater sculpin
Cyprinidae bluntnose minnow Pimephales notatus Native
Cyprinidae creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus Native
Cyprinidae lake chub Couesius plumbeus Native
Cyprinidae finescale dace Phoxinus neogaeus Native rainbow chub
Cyprinidae longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae Native
Cyprinidae common shiner Notropis cornutus Native
Cyprinidae mimic shiner Notropis volucellus Native
Cyprinidae emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides Native
Cyprinidae sand shiner Notropis stramineus Native
Cyprinidae spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius Native
Esocidae northern pike Esox lucius Native
Gasterosteridae ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius Native tenspined stickleback
Lotidae burbot Lota lota Native eelout, lawyer
Percidae johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum Native
Percidae log perch Percina caprodes Native
Percidae yellow perch Perca flavescens Native
Percidae walleye Sander vitreus Native
Percopsidae trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus Native
Salmonidae cisco Coregonus artedi Native
Salmonidae lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Native
Salmonidae bloater Coregonus hoyi Native
Salmonidae kiyi Coregonus kiyi Native big-eyed chub
Salmonidae shortjaw cisco Coregonus zenithicus Native
Salmonidae pygmy whitefish Prosopium coulteri Native
Salmonidae round whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum Native
Salmonidae brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis Native coaster brook trout
Salmonidae lake trout Salvelinus namaycush Native siscowet (S. n. siscowet)
Umbridae central mudminnow Umbra limi Native


Non-Native Fish in Lake Superior Basin (21)

Family Common Name Scientific Name Nativity Also Known As
Anguillidae American eel* Anguilla rostrata Non-Native
Atherinidae brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus Non-Native
Clupeidae alewife Alosa pseudoharengus Non-Native freshwater herring
Cyprinidae goldfish Carassius auratus Non-Native
Cyprinidae common carp Cyprinus carpio Non-Native
Gasterosteridae fourspine stickleback Apeltes quadracus Non-Native
Gasterosteridae threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Non-Native
Gobiidae round goby Apollonia melanostromus Non-Native
Gobiidae tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus Non-Native
Moronidae white perch Morone americana Non-native
Osmeridae rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax Non-Native
Percidae Eurasian ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus Non-Native
Petromyzontidae sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus Non-Native
Salmonidae splake* hybrid (lake trout & brook trout) Non-Native
Salmonidae pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Non-Native humpies
Salmonidae coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch Non-Native silver salmon
Salmonidae chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Non-Native king salmon
Salmonidae rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Non-Native steelhead
Salmonidae Atlantic salmon* Salmo salar Non-Native
Salmonidae brown trout Salmo trutta Non-Native
Sciaenidae freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens Non-Native sheepshead

* These fish do not reproduce in the Lake Superior Basin. There are 18 non-native fish that reproduce in the Lake Superior Basin.

All Fish in the Lake Superior Basin (89)

Family Common Name Scientific Name Nativity Also Known As
Acipenseridae lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens Native
Anguillidae American eel Anguilla rostrata Non-Native
Atherinidae brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus Non-Native
Catastomidae longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus Native
Catastomidae white sucker Catostomus commersoni Native
Catastomidae silver redhorse Moxostoma anisurum Native
Catastomidae shorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum Native
Centrarchidae rock bass Ambloplites rupestris Native
Centrarchidae pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus Native
Centrarchidae bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Native
Centrarchidae smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui Native
Centrarchidae largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Native
Centrarchidae black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus Native
Clupeidae alewife Alosa pseudoharengus Non-Native freshwater herring
Cottidae mottled sculpin Cottus bairdii Native
Cottidae slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus Native
Cottidae spoonhead sculpin Cottus ricei Native
Cottidae fourhorn sculpin Myoxocephalus quadricornis Native deepwater sculpin
Cyprinidae goldfish Carassius auratus Non-Native
Cyprinidae lake chub Couesius plumbeus Native
Cyprinidae common carp Cyprinus carpio Non-Native
Cyprinidae brassy minnow Hybognathus hankinsoni Native
Cyprinidae pearl dace Margariscus margarita Native
Cyprinidae hornyhead chub Nocomis biguttatus Native redtail chub
Cyprinidae golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas Native
Cyprinidae pugnose shiner Notropis anogenus Native
Cyprinidae emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides Native
Cyprinidae common shiner Notropis cornutus Native
Cyprinidae blackchin shiner Notropis heterodon Native
Cyprinidae blacknose shiner Notropis heterolepis Native
Cyprinidae spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius Native
Cyprinidae rosyface shiner Notropis rubellus Native
Cyprinidae sand shiner Notropis stramineus Native
Cyprinidae mimic shiner Notropis volucellus Native
Cyprinidae northern redbelly dace Phoxinus eos Native rainbow chub
Cyprinidae finescale dace Phoxinus neogaeus Native rainbow chub
Cyprinidae bluntnose minnow Pimephales notatus Native
Cyprinidae fathead minnow Pimephales promelas Native
Cyprinidae blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus Native
Cyprinidae longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae Native
Cyprinidae creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus Native
Esocidae northern pike Esox lucius Native
Esocidae muskellunge Esox masquinongy Native
Gasterosteridae fourspine stickleback Apeltes quadracus Non-Native
Gasterosteridae brook stickleback Culaea inconstans Native
Gasterosteridae threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Non-Native
Gasterosteridae ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius Native tenspined stickleback
Gobiidae round goby Neogobius melanostromus Non-Native
Gobiidae tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus Non-Native
Ictaluridae black bullhead Ameiurus melas Native
Ictaluridae yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis Native
Ictaluridae channel catfish Ictalaurus puncatus Native
Ictaluridae brown bullhead Ictalurus nebulosus Native
Ictaluridae stonechat Noturus flavus Native
Ictaluridae tadpole madtom Noturus gyrinus Native
Lotidae burbot Lota lota Native eelout, lawyer
Moronidae white perch Morone americana Non-native
Osmeridae rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax Non-Native
Percidae Iowa darter Etheostoma exile Native
Percidae johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum Native
Percidae Eurasian ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus Non-Native
Percidae yellow perch Perca flavescens Native
Percidae log perch Percina caprodes Native
Percidae sauger Sander canadense Native
Percidae walleye Sander vitreus Native
Percopsidae trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus Native
Petromyzontidae northern brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon fossor Native
Petromyzontidae silver lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis Native
Petromyzontidae american brook lamprey Lampetra lamottei Native
Petromyzontidae sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus Non-Native
Salmonidae cisco Coregonus artedi Native
Salmonidae lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis Native
Salmonidae bloater Coregonus hoyi Native
Salmonidae kiyi Coregonus kiyi Native big-eyed chub
Salmonidae blackfin cisco (extinct) Coregonus nigripinnis Native
Salmonidae shortjaw cisco Coregonus zenithicus Native
Salmonidae splake hybrid (lake trout & brook trout) Non-Native
Salmonidae pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha Non-Native humpies
Salmonidae coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch Non-Native silver salmon
Salmonidae chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Non-Native king salmon
Salmonidae pygmy whitefish Prosopium coulteri Native
Salmonidae round whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum Native
Salmonidae rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Non-Native steelhead
Salmonidae Atlantic salmon Salmo salar Non-Native
Salmonidae brown trout Salmo trutta Non-Native
Salmonidae brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis Native coaster brook trout
Salmonidae lake trout Salvelinus namaycush Native siscowet (S. n. siscowet)
Sciaenidae freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens Non-Native sheepshead
Umbridae central mudminnow Umbra limi Native

Fish:

Contact:

Jeff Gunderson
Fisheries Specialist

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This page last modified on March 03, 2011
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