List of fishes of Canada

The following is a list of common fish species known to occur in the lakes and rivers of Canada.

Order Petromyzontiformes (lampreys)

Family Petromyzontidae (northern lampreys)

Western brook lamprey

• Vancouver lamprey (Entosphenus macrostoma)
• Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus)
• Chestnut lamprey (Icthyomyzon castaneus)
• Northern brook lamprey (Icthyomyzon fossor)
• Silver lamprey (Icthyomyzon unicuspis)
• Western river lamprey (Lamptera ayresii)
• Western brook lamprey (Lamptera richardsoni)
• American brook lamprey (Lethenteron appendix)
• Arctic lamprey (Lethenteron camtschaticum)

Order Acipenseriformes (sturgeons and paddlefish)

Family Acipenseridae (sturgeons)

Lake sturgeon

• Shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)
• Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
• Green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris)
• Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus)
• White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)

Order Lepisosteiformes (gars)

Family Lepisosteidae (gars)

• Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
• Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)

Order Amiiformes (Bowfins)

Family Amiidae (Bowfins)

• Eyetail bowfin (Amia ocellicauda)

Order Hiodontiformes (mooneyes)

Goldeye

Family Hiodontidae (mooneyes)

• Goldeye (Hiodon alosoides)
• Mooneye (Hiodon tergisus)

Order Anguilliformes (eels)

Family Anguillidae (freshwater eels)

• American eel (Anguilla rostrata)

Order Clupeiformes (herrings and relatives)

Family Clupeidae (herrings, shads, and relatives)

• Blueback shad (Alosa aestivalis)
• Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
• American shad (Alosa sapidissima)
• American gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)

Order Cypriniformes (carps, minnows, and relatives)

Northern hogsucker

Family Catostomidae (suckers)

• Longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus)
• White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
• Largescale sucker (Catostomus macrocheilus)
• Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
• Lake chubsucker (Erimyzon sucetta)
• Northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans)
• Bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
• Black buffalo (Ictiobus niger)
• Spotted sucker (Minytrema melanops)
• Silver redhorse (Moxostoma anisurum)
• River redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum)
• Black redhorse (Moxostoma dubuquesnei)
• Golden redhorse (Moxostoma erythurum)
• Copper redhorse (Moxostoma hubbsi)
• Shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)
• Greater redhorse (Moxostoma valenciennesi)
• Plains sucker (Pantosteus jordani)

Family Cobitidae (True loaches)

• Oriental weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) (I)

Family Cyprinidae (Cyprinids)

• Goldfish (Carassius auratus) (I)
• Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio) (I)^[1]
• European carp (Cyprinus carpio) (I)
• Amur carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) (I)

Family Leuciscidae (True minnow)

Northern redbelly dace

Northern pikeminnow

Fallfish

• Central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)
• Northern redbelly dace (Chrosomus eos)
• Finescale dace (Chrosomus neogaeus)
• Redside dace (Clinostomus elongatus)
• Lake chub (Couesius plumbeus)
• Spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera)
• Cutlip minnow (Exoglossum maxillingua)
• Chiselmouth (Gila alutacea)
• Brassy minnow (Hybognathus hankisoni)
• Eastern silvery minnow (Hybognathus regius)
• Striped shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus)
• Common shiner (Luxilus cornutus)
• Redfin shiner (Lythrurus umbratilis)
• Silver chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana)
• Northern pearl dace (Margariscus nachtriebi)
• Peamouth (Mylocheilus caurinus)
• Hornyhead chub (Nocomis biguttatus)
• River chub (Nocomis micropogon)
• Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
• Pugnose shiner (Notropis anogenus)
• Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides)
• Bridle shiner (Notropis bifrenatus)
• River shiner (Notropis blennius)
• Ghost shiner (Notropis buchanani)
• Bigmouth shiner (Notropis dorsalis)
• Blackchin shiner (Notropis heterodon)
• Blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis)
• Spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius)
• Silver shiner (Notropis photogenis)
• Rosyface shiner (Notropis rubellus)
• Sand shiner (Notropis stramineus)
• Mimic shiner (Notropis volucellus)
• Bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus)
• Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)
• Flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis)
• Northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis)
• Eastern blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)
• Longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)
• Leopard dace (Rhinichthys falcatus)
• Western blacknose dace (Rhinichthys obtusus)
• Speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus)
• Umatilla dace (Rhinichthys umatilla)
• Redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus)
• Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus) (I)^[2]
• Creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)
• Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis)

Family Tincidae (Tenches)

• Tench (Tinca tinca) (I)

Order Siluriformes (Catfishes)

Channel catfish

Family Ictaluridae (Freshwater catfishes)

• Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas)
• Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)
• Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
• Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
• Stonecat (Noturus flavus)
• Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus)
• Margined madtom (Noturus insignis)
• Brindled madtom (Noturus miurus)

Order Esociformes (Pikes and mudminnows)

Muskellunge

Family Esocidae (Pikes)

• American pickerel (Esox americanus)
• Northern pike (Esox lucius)
• Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)
• Chain pickerel (Esox niger)

Family Umbridae (Mudminnows)

• Central mudminnow (Umbra limi)

Order Salmoniformes (Salmon, trout, and whitefish)

Cutthroat trout

Brook trout

Sockeye salmon

Family Salmonidae (Salmon, trout, and whitefish)

• Least cisco (Coregonus albula)
• Cisco (Coregonus artedi)
• Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis)
• Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
• Bloater (Coregonus hoyi)
• Atlantic whitefish (Coregonus huntsmani)
• Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus)
• Shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus)
• Golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) (I)
• Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii)
• Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
• Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)
• Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
• Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
• Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
• Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
• Pygmy whitefish (Prosopium coulterii)
• Round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum)
• Mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni)
• Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
• Brown trout (Salmo trutta)
• Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)
• Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)
• Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
• Dolly varden (Salvelinus malma)
• Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)
• Nelma (Stenodus nelma)
• Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus)

Order Percopsiformes (Trout-perches)

Family Percopsidae (Trout-perch)

• Trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)

Order Cichliformes (Cichilids)

Family Cichlidae (Cichilids)

• Jewelfish (Rubricatochromis bimaculatus) (I) (Ex)

Order Cyprinodontiformes (Toothcarps)

Mummichog

Family Fundulidae (Topminnows)

• Banded killifish (Fundulus diaphanus)
• Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)
• Blackstripe topminnow (Fundulus notatus)

Family Poeciliidae (Livebearers)

• Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) (I)
• Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) (I)

Order Atheriniformes (Silversides)

Family Atherinopsidae (Neotropical silversides)

• Brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus)
• Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia)

Order Gasterosteiformes (Sticklebacks)

Threespine stickleback

Family Gasterosteidae (Sticklebacks)

• Fourspine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus)
• Brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans)
• Threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
• Blackspotted stickleback (Gasterosteus wheatlandi)

Order Scorpaeniformes (Mail-cheeked fishes)

Family Cottidae (Sculpins)

• Coastrange sculpin (Cottus aleuticus)
• Prickly sculpin (Cottus asper)
• Mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdii)
• Slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus)
• Columbia sculpin (Cottus hubbsi)
• Torrent sculpin (Cottus rhotheus)
• Spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei)
• Deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsonii)

Order Perciformes (Sunfish and perch)

Bluegill

Warmouth

Greenside darter

Family Moronidae (Temperate basses)

• White perch (Morone americana)
• White bass (Morone chrysops)
• Striped bass (Morone saxitilis)

Family Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)

• Rock bass (Ambioplites rupestris)
• Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
• Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
• Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus)
• Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
• Orangespotted sunfish (Lepomis humilis) (I)
• Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
• Northern sunfish (Lepomis peltastes)
• Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
• Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
• White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
• Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)

Family Percidae (Perches, darters, and allies)

• Eastern sand darter (Ammocrypta pellucida)
• Tessellated darter (Etheostoma almstedi)
• Greenside darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
• Rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum)
• Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile)
• Fantail darter (Etheostoma flabellare)
• Least darter (Etheostoma microperca)
• Johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum)
• Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua)
• Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
• Common logperch (Percina caprodes)
• Channel darter (Percina copelandi)
• Blackside darter (Percina maculata)
• Sauger (Sander canadensis)

Family Sciaenidae (drums)

• Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)

References

1. "Prussian carp". Alberta. Alberta Government. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
2. "Rudd". Ontario. Ontario Government. Retrieved 28 March 2024.