Notemigonus crysoleucas
The Golden Shiner is a
common minnow
found in lakes, ponds, marshes,
and quiet streams. It can grow up to 12 inches long, but is
usually much smaller. Golden Shiners are
silvery fish, with an olive-colored back and yellowish or
reddish fins. Usually, these fish stay
close to aquatic
plants, but at night they move out into open
water. The Virtual Aquarium,
Virginia Tech Golden Shiners eat tiny
zooplankton
(microscopic creatures), crustaceans (water fleas and
crayfish), insects, small fish, and algae. This fish is always found
in schools.
They also spawn
(breed) in small groups. Golden Shiners do not
make nests or take care of their eggs. Females lay eggs on
top of plants or on top of another fish's nest, such as a
Largemouth Bass or Bluegill. The eggs stick to the plants or
nest and the adults swim away. Female Golden Shiners
grow larger than males. This fish can live up to eight
years. Predators
of Golden Shiners include larger fish, fishing birds, and
turtles. Copyright, Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission, www.FloridaFisheries.com
