Locations
Fish species in Kentucky
259 species have two or more US observation records in Kentucky. Explore their habitats, families, and local records.
259 species have two or more US observation records in Kentucky. ITIS calls 139 of them native to the United States, 114 native to part of the country and introduced elsewhere, and 6 introduced.
- Species
- 259
- Freshwater
- 254
- Saltwater
- 14
- Survey list
- 173
0
1state
Two counts, two questions. 259 is the number of species observed in Kentucky and filed with GBIF, which includes lakes, the coast, and museum records. 173 is the number the USGS stream survey caught, which samples flowing fresh water only. Neither is the other, so the site never adds them.
The statute
The official state fish of Kentucky
A state fish is a statute, not a survey. It says which fish the legislature chose, not which fish is most common. The list above links each row to the state's own record.
Most recorded
The fish of Kentucky
The species with the most observation records in the state. It is the closest the open data comes to naming the fish people meet.
Rainbow Darter2,622 records
Etheostoma caeruleumPercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Bluntnose Minnow2,360 records
Pimephales notatusLeuciscidaeNative and introducedFresh
Striped Shiner2,272 records
Luxilus chrysocephalusLeuciscidaeNative and introducedFresh
Longear Sunfish2,116 records
Lepomis megalotisCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh
Creek Chub2,075 records
Semotilus atromaculatusLeuciscidaeNative and introducedFresh
Fantail Darter2,014 records
Etheostoma flabellarePercidaeNativeFresh
Greenside Darter1,972 records
Etheostoma blennioidesPercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Central Stoneroller1,902 records
Campostoma anomalumLeuciscidaeNative and introducedFresh
Northern Hog Sucker1,638 records
Hypentelium nigricansCatostomidaeNative and introducedFresh
Bluegill1,626 records
Lepomis macrochirusCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh
Green Sunfish1,302 records
Lepomis cyanellusCentrarchidaeNative and introducedFresh
Spotfin Shiner1,243 records
Cyprinella spilopteraLeuciscidaeNative and introducedFresh
Groups
Types of fish in Kentucky
Species
All 259 species, A–Z
A
B
- Banded Darter Etheostoma zonale
- Banded Pygmy Sunfish Elassoma zonatum
- Banded Sculpin Cottus carolinae
- Bandfin Darter Etheostoma zonistium
- Bantam Sunfish Lepomis symmetricus
- Barcheek Darter Etheostoma obeyense
- Bigeye Chub Hybopsis amblops
- Bigeye Shiner Notropis boops
- Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis
- Bigmouth Buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus
- Bigmouth Shiner Notropis dorsalis
- Black Buffalo Ictiobus niger
- Black Bullhead Ameiurus melas
- Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- Black Mullet Mugil cephalus
- Blackfin Sucker Thoburnia atripinnis
- Blackside Dace Chrosomus cumberlandensis
- Blackside Darter Percina maculata
- Blackspotted Topminnow Fundulus olivaceus
- Blackstripe Topminnow Fundulus notatus
- Blacktail Redhorse Moxostoma poecilurum
- Blacktail Shiner Cyprinella venusta
- Bloodfin Darter Nothonotus sanguifluus
- Blotched Chub Erimystax insignis
- Blotchside Logperch Percina burtoni
- Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus
- Blue Sucker Cycleptus elongatus
- Bluebreast Darter Nothonotus camurus
- Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus
- Bluegrass Darter Etheostoma jimmycarter
- Bluestripe Darter Percina cymatotaenia
- Bluntface Shiner Cyprinella camura
- Bluntnose Minnow Pimephales notatus
- Bowfin Amia calva
- Brighteye Darter Etheostoma lynceum
- Brindled Madtom Noturus miurus
- Brook Silverside Labidesthes sicculus
- Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis
- Brown Bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus
- Brown Madtom Noturus phaeus
- Brown Trout Salmo trutta
- Buck Darter Etheostoma nebra
- Bullhead Minnow Pimephales vigilax
C
- Carmine Shiner Notropis percobromus
- Central Mudminnow Umbra limi
- Central Stoneroller Campostoma anomalum
- Chain Pickerel Esox niger
- Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus
- Channel Darter Percina copelandi
- Channel Shiner Notropis wickliffi
- Chestnut Lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus
- Common Carp Cyprinus carpio
- Common Shiner Luxilus cornutus
- Creek Chub Semotilus atromaculatus
- Creek Chubsucker Erimyzon oblongus
- Crystal Darter Crystallaria asprella
- Cumberland Darter Etheostoma susanae
- Cumberland Plateau Darter Etheostoma spilotum
- Cumberland Snubnose Darter Etheostoma atripinne
- Cypress Darter Etheostoma proeliare
- Cypress Minnow Hybognathus hayi
D
E
F
- Fantail Darter Etheostoma flabellare
- Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas
- Firebelly Darter Etheostoma pyrrhogaster
- Flame Chub Hemitremia flammea
- Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris
- Flier Centrarchus macropterus
- Frecklebelly Darter Percina stictogaster
- Freckled Madtom Noturus nocturnus
- Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens
- Fringed Darter Etheostoma crossopterum
G
- Ghost Shiner Notropis buchanani
- Gilt Darter Percina evides
- Golden Redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum
- Golden Shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas
- Golden Topminnow Fundulus chrysotus
- Goldeye Hiodon alosoides
- Goldfish Carassius auratus
- Goldstripe Darter Etheostoma parvipinne
- Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella
- Grass Pickerel Esox americanus
- Gravel Chub Erimystax x-punctatus
- Green Sunfish Lepomis cyanellus
- Greenside Darter Etheostoma blennioides
- Guardian Darter Etheostoma oophylax
- Gulf Darter Etheostoma swaini
H
I
J
K
L
- Lake Chubsucker Erimyzon sucetta
- Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens
- Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides
- Largescale Stoneroller Campostoma oligolepis
- Least Brook Lamprey Lampetra aepyptera
- Least Madtom Noturus hildebrandi
- Logperch Percina caprodes
- Lollipop Darter Etheostoma neopterum
- Longear Sunfish Lepomis megalotis
- Longhead Darter Percina macrocephala
- Longnose Dace Rhinichthys cataractae
- Longnose Gar Lepisosteus osseus
M
- Mimic Shiner Notropis volucellus
- Mirror Shiner Notropis spectrunculus
- Mississippi Silvery Minnow Hybognathus nuchalis
- Mooneye Hiodon tergisus
- Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis
- Mottled Sculpin Cottus bairdii
- Mountain Brook Lamprey Ichthyomyzon greeleyi
- Mountain Madtom Noturus eleutherus
- Mountain Redbelly Dace Chrosomus oreas
- Mud Darter Etheostoma asprigene
- Muskellunge Esox masquinongy
N
O
P
Q
R
- Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caeruleum
- Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss
- Red Shiner Cyprinella lutrensis
- Redbreast Sunfish Lepomis auritus
- Redear Sunfish Lepomis microlophus
- Redeye Bass Micropterus coosae
- Redfin Shiner Lythrurus umbratilis
- Redline Darter Nothonotus rufilineatus
- Redlips Darter Allohistium maydeni
- Redside Dace Clinostomus elongatus
- Redspotted Sunfish Lepomis miniatus
- Redtail Chub Nocomis effusus
- Relict Darter Etheostoma chienense
- Ribbon Shiner Lythrurus fumeus
- River Carpsucker Carpiodes carpio
- River Chub Nocomis micropogon
- River Darter Percina shumardi
- River Redhorse Moxostoma carinatum
- River Shiner Notropis blennius
- Rock Bass Ambloplites rupestris
- Rosefin Shiner Lythrurus ardens
- Rosyface Shiner Notropis rubellus
- Rosyside Dace Clinostomus funduloides
S
- Saddleback Darter Percina vigil
- Saffron Darter Etheostoma flavum
- Sand Shiner Notropis stramineus
- Satinfin Shiner Cyprinella analostana
- Sauger Sander canadensis
- Scarlet Shiner Lythrurus fasciolaris
- Sharpnose Darter Percina oxyrhynchus
- Shawnee Darter Etheostoma tecumsehi
- Shoal Chub Macrhybopsis hyostoma
- Shorthead Redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidotum
- Shortnose Gar Lepisosteus platostomus
- Shovelnose Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus
- Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
- Silver Chub Macrhybopsis storeriana
- Silver Lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis
- Silver Redhorse Moxostoma anisurum
- Silver Shiner Notropis photogenis
- Silverband Shiner Notropis shumardi
- Silverjaw Minnow Ericymba buccata
- Skipjack Shad Alosa chrysochloris
- Slabrock Darter Etheostoma smithi
- Slender Madtom Noturus exilis
- Slenderhead Darter Percina phoxocephala
- Slough Darter Etheostoma gracile
- Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu
- Smallmouth Buffalo Ictiobus bubalus
- Smallmouth Redhorse Moxostoma breviceps
- Smallscale Darter Nothonotus microlepidus
- Snubnose Darter Etheostoma simoterum
- Southern Cavefish Typhlichthys subterraneus
- Southern Redbelly Dace Chrosomus erythrogaster
- Speckled Chub Macrhybopsis aestivalis
- Speckled Darter Etheostoma stigmaeum
- Splendid Darter Etheostoma barrenense
- Spotfin Shiner Cyprinella spiloptera
- Spottail Darter Etheostoma squamiceps
- Spottail Shiner Notropis hudsonius
- Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus
- Spotted Darter Nothonotus maculatus
- Spotted Gar Lepisosteus oculatus
- Spotted Sucker Minytrema melanops
- Spotted Sunfish Lepomis punctatus
- Spring Cavefish Forbesichthys agassizii
- Stargazing Minnow Phenacobius uranops
- Steelcolor Shiner Cyprinella whipplei
- Stone Darter Etheostoma derivativum
- Stonecat Noturus flavus
- Streamline Chub Erimystax dissimilis
- Striped Bass Morone saxatilis
- Striped Darter Etheostoma virgatum
- Striped Shiner Luxilus chrysocephalus
- Stripetail Darter Etheostoma kennicotti
- Suckermouth Minnow Phenacobius mirabilis
T
- Tadpole Madtom Noturus gyrinus
- Taillight Shiner Notropis maculatus
- Teardrop Darter Etheostoma barbouri
- Telescope Shiner Notropis telescopus
- Tennessee Shiner Notropis leuciodus
- Threadfin Shad Dorosoma petenense
- Tippecanoe Darter Nothonotus tippecanoe
- Trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus
- Tuxedo Darter Etheostoma lemniscatum
V
W
- Walleye Sander vitreus
- Warioto Darter Etheostoma gore
- Warmouth Lepomis gulosus
- Warpaint Shiner Luxilus coccogenis
- Weed Shiner Notropis texanus
- Western Blacknose Dace Rhinichthys obtusus
- Western Creek Chubsucker Erimyzon claviformis
- Western Sand Darter Ammocrypta clara
- White Bass Morone chrysops
- White Bullhead Ameiurus catus
- White Crappie Pomoxis annularis
- White Perch Morone americana
- White Sucker Catostomus commersonii
- Whitetail Shiner Cyprinella galactura
Y
One record only
18 more with a single record
One observation can be a stray, an aquarium release, or a mis-keyed locality, so these are kept out of the count above and listed here instead. The first 18 are shown.
Atlantic Needlefish23 states
Strongylura marinaBelonidaeNativeFreshSaltBrackish
Blackbanded Darter10 states
Percina nigrofasciataPercidaeNativeFresh
Bluefish19 states
Pomatomus saltatrixPomatomidaeNativeSaltBrackish
Blueside Darter9 states
Etheostoma jessiaePercidaeNativeFresh
Buffalo Darter2 states
Etheostoma bisonPercidaeNativeFresh
Burbot24 states
Lota lotaGadidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish
Chesapeake Fantail Darter24 states
Etheostoma barrattiPercidaeNativeFresh
Flathead Chub20 states
Platygobio gracilisLeuciscidaeNative and introducedFresh
Greenthroat Darter5 states
Etheostoma lepidumPercidaeNativeFresh
Least Darter13 states
Etheostoma micropercaPercidaeNativeFresh
Lined Topminnow8 states
Fundulus lineolatusFundulidaeNativeFresh
Northern Pike39 states
Esox luciusEsocidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish
Rainbow Smelt29 states
Osmerus mordaxOsmeridaeNative and introducedFreshSaltBrackish
Southern Brook Lamprey15 states
Ichthyomyzon gageiPetromyzontidaeNativeFresh
Sturgeon Chub11 states
Macrhybopsis gelidaLeuciscidaeNativeFresh
Swamp Darter24 states
Etheostoma fusiformePercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Tessellated Darter28 states
Etheostoma olmstediPercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Wounded Darter5 states
Nothonotus vulneratusPercidaeNativeFresh
Nearby