Please Help ID this Fish!

[Dougfirtree]

A friend photographed this fish stuck on the ice on Lake Champlain. It's about 3 inches long. I would like to ID it, as there is something very familiar about it, but I can't place it... It looks a little like a Mooneye, but doesn't look right to me. I'm a little obsessed. Anyone know?

 

[marksjeep]

Alewife?

ETA - Looks like Champlain has them.

 

[Dougfirtree]

The lateral line dips down, like a shiner...

 

[Dougfirtree]

Alewife?

Definitely not. I'm very familiar with those. I am (truly) very appreciative of the suggestion, though.

 

[marksjeep]

Definitely not. I'm very familiar with those. I am (truly) very appreciative of the suggestion, though.

All good. Haven't seen an alewife in 20 years.

 

[Gellar]

Thought mooneye at first, but lateral lines dip down like a golden shiner.

 

[Oak]

I was going to suggest golden shiner.

 

[Treeshark]

Lightly colored golden shiner is my vote as well.

 

[stillkickin]

I also agree with the a Golden Shiner ID. Never seen one that silver but the young are silver prior to adulthood golden hues

 

[huronmtns]

The lateral line and fin layout looks like a Golden Shiner. The pectoral fin is slightly different in this drawing but that might be a small error in the book. I would really need to have a sample in my hands to gather some hidden details that I can't get just from a picture. But right now Golden Shiner would be it.

 

[huronmtns]

Lateral line scale count 54 or under and anal ray count of 12 or 13 will ensure it is a Golden Shiner.

I did count 12 anal rays on your pictured fish in question. Scale count is tough on this picture. Maybe some one has better eyes than me and can get a good count for us.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Yeah, juvenile golden shiner would make alot of sense. I guess it was near some fishing holes and the upper lip does seem a little mangled, like maybe it was hooked there.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

Tail shape matches shiner. This is why bait-bucket dumping is illegal!

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Looks like bait to me

 

[targetpanic]

Definitely thinking golden shiner...pike bait!