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Lake emerald shiner 



Lake emerald shiner 



Notropis a. at herinotdes (Rafinesque) 



General description Body thin and streamlined, 



snout blunt; scales silvery colored with no black 

 pigment, loose and easily removed; moi^th large with thin 

 black lips running to tip of nose; dorsal fin behind 

 point of pelvic fin attachment; anal fin pointed (as 

 is dorsal) and containing about 9 rays. 



The lake emerald shiner is found, in large lakes and 

 rivers, usually in large schools in open waters. Its 

 range includes the larger glacial lakes in Hudson Bay, 

 the Great Lakes drainages, and the larger tributaries 

 of the Mississippi River. 



The minnow spawns over gravel shoals from the 

 middle of May to early June. The fish averages 1-3/4 

 inches at the end of the first year and 3 inches at 

 the end of the second. It is often used for bait 

 despite the fact that it dies quickly and its scales 

 come off easily. It is a good bait for bass, perch, 

 and wall-eyed pike. Hardy in cold weather, this fish 

 is a favorite for winter fishing. 



The food of the lake emerald shiner consists 

 largely of insects, most of which are often terrestrial. 

 This Shiner has been known to feed on entomostracans, 

 algae, small fish, fish eggs, terrestrial insects, 

 aquatic insects, and oligochaete worms. The studies 

 of several workers show that, in general, the food 

 percentages are as follows: water fleas, 26.8; algae, 

 7.9; water boatmen, 1.0; May flies, 1.3; caddis flies, 

 2.1; chironomids, 9.7; terrestrial insects, 7.9; 

 miscellaneous insects, 26.3; fish eggs, 2.9; crusta- 

 cean debris, 10.7; and miscellanaous, 3.2. 



