Blackchin shiner

Description

Blackchin shiners have a thin strip of golden scales just above their black stripe.They also have scales on their backs and upper sides that have dark edges,which make them unique from other shiners.Another thing that makes this species of shiner unique,especially from the closely related bigeye shiner,is that blackchin shiners have an incomplete lateral line with a dusky spot above and below each sensory pore.All fins of blackchin shiners are transparent,and the underbelly is a pale cream shade.The scales of these fishes are thinner,flexible scales called bony-ridged scales.Blackchins have scales called cycloid scales,which are round and,compared to the scales of other fishes,smooth.These scales are a clue that this species is primitive in comparison to other teleosts,many of whom have ctenoid scales.For species of fish with either version of leptoid scales,the age of the fish can be determined by examining the pattern of ridges on a scale,similar to how tree trunk rings display the age of a tree.A straight lateral line is positioned roughly near the center of their sides.These fish also have eight anal fin rays on the tail fin,which is a forked ersion of a homocercal tail.The dorsal fin lies behind the middle of the body.The dorsal fins of all soft-rayed teleosts are supported by soft,flexible rays,and this shiner is no different.The paired ventral fins of shiners are located in the abdominal position,where these pelvic fins are expected to be found: back near the anus.The teeth located at the back of the throat are arranged in two rows,with one tooth in the outer row and four in the inner row,which distinguishes them from related species.The mouth of the blackchin shiner is a pale,off-white color on the inside.These characteristics all help biologists distinguish between various taxonomies.They are usually measured between 1.5 and 2.5 inches,but have been recorded at up to 3 inches.These deep-bodied fishes have a compressed body.However,unlike other deep-bodied fishes,the preferred depth of the fish has shown no relation to the length of the fish.Contrarily typical to deep-bodied fish,blackchins can produce short bursts of speed,but cannot sustain their speed for long.Their maneuverable bodies are slim,which allows them accuracy and efficiency near the safety of weeds,but proves difficult for them when they encounter moving water.