# Please ID This Pennsylvania Freshwater Fish **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 22, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705 "2006-05-22T03:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705/1 "2006-05-22T03:21:45Z")
Warning- I may be confusing specimens of different species. Size-from pinkie to foot sized. Coloration-Above muddy brown with some vague spots. Below brilliant irridescent blue/silver. Prominent pectoral and pelvic fins. The pectoral, pelvic, and dorsal fins of some individuals are red to degrees ranging from a slight tinge to tomato colored. Some individuals have a pattern of three stripes running the length of the body. Two thin light stripes sandwich a much thicker dark stripe. I first noticed these fish in a stream and pond about a month ago. At that time, the largest was the size of my thumb or index finger. In two weeks, the largest individuals were the size of my foot. I suspect that these are some kind of catfish. Thank you for any help you can give me. Note- I’m just curious about these creatures that can thrive in a waterway that is treated as a dumpster. I have no intention of fishing there. I do not plan to capture one as a pet. They are fun to watch though. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705/2 "2006-05-24T22:47:37Z")
Either nobody knows, or people just clicked on this thread expecting comedy. If nobody on the SDMB can identify the species, I can only conclude that they are in fact infant dragons. If you don’t think a slew of dragons rising up to destroy a new housing development is funny, I have no clue how to make you laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705/3 "2006-05-24T23:06:42Z")
Catfish can be recognized by their characteristic barbels, long fleshy whiskers around the mouth. If it doens’t have these, it’s _probably_ not a catfish. Check out this site: [Pennsylvania Fishes](http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Fish_Boat/pafish/fishhtms/chapindx.htm) Just going from the description of the stripes and the lack of any other unique features, check out the Rainbow Smelt, Freshwater Drum, and the Suckers. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705/4 "2006-05-24T23:14:10Z")
The Redhorse Sucker could be it…the site I linked to above claims they can do well in muddy waters, and the head looks kind of like a catfish without the barbels. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705/5 "2006-05-24T23:18:30Z")
> [@Sequent](#): > > Catfish can be recognized by their characteristic barbels, long fleshy whiskers around the mouth. If it doens’t have these, it’s _probably_ not a catfish. I’ve been looking for barbels. But the top coloring so perfectly matches the mud, it’s tough to see the fish at all. Definitely not the drum or the smelt. A few of the suckers are very close. Could it be a hybrid of sucker species? There’s also the chance this is not a native species. I once saw a goldfish in the same pond. I’d post pictures, but I have no digital camera. ---
**Author:** ![Sequent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Sequent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sequent)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-id-this-pennsylvania-freshwater-fish/357705/6 "2006-05-25T00:37:05Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > There’s also the chance this is not a native species. I once saw a goldfish in the same pond. I was going to mention that, but then that blows the whole search wide open, doesn’t it? Maybe you could net one to settle the catfish question. I’d say non-native is more probable than hybrid. Notice also that while the site says the Redhorse Sucker can live in muddy waters, the Northern Hog Sucker (gotta love that name) is so intolerant of pollution and contamination that its presence is considered a good indicator of water quality.