90 



Of the fishes that are used for bait, the true 

 minnows are the most important group. Minnows of 

 eastern and central North America can be distinguished 

 from other fishes by the following characters: no 

 teeth on the jaws; no scales on the head but covering 

 remainder of body; no spiny rays in any of the fins 

 ( except in carp and goldfish); one dorsal fin; less than 

 10 rays in the dorsal fin (except carp and goldfish); 

 pelvic fins abdominal in position; size usually small, 

 under 6 inches (fig. 19). 



There are many species of minnows, but the follow- 

 ing pages include only the 15 species that are important 

 as bait fishes. 



Figure 19. — A typical minnow showing 

 parts used in identifica- 

 tion. 



DORSAL PIN 



CAUDAL FIN 



