Fathead minnow

Fathead minnow
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Leuciscinae
Genus: Pimephales
Species:
P. promelas
Binomial name
Pimephales promelas
(Rafinesque, 1820)
Synonyms
  • Hyborhynchus confertus Girard, 1856
  • Pimephales fasciatus Girard, 1856
  • Pimephales maculosus Girard, 1856
  • Hyborhynchus puniceus Girard, 1856
  • Plargyrus melanocephalus Abbott, 1860
  • Pimephales milesii Cope, 1865
  • Pimephales agassizii Cope, 1867
  • Colistus parietalis Cope, 1871
  • Hyborhynchus nigellus Cope, 1875
  • Cliola smithii Evermann & Cox, 1896
  • Pimephales anuli Kendall, 1903

Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), also known as fathead or tuffy, is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the genus Pimephales of the cyprinid family. The natural geographic range extends throughout much of North America, from central Canada south along the Rockies to Texas, and east to Virginia and the Northeastern United States.[2] This minnow has also been introduced to many other areas via bait bucket releases. Its golden, or xanthic, strain, known as the rosy-red minnow, is a very common feeder fish sold in the United States and Canada. This fish is best known for producing Schreckstoff (a distress signal).

  1. ^ NatureServe & Daniels, A. (2019). "Pimephales promelas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T191292A130031376. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T191292A130031376.en. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  2. ^ Page, Lawrence M. and Brooks M. Burr (1991), Freshwater Fishes, p. 129–130, Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. ISBN 0-395-91091-9