Kentucky  - Our Place in the World    
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In the picturesque and unique Green River ecosystem alone, there are over 150 species of fish, some of which, such as the Orangefin Darter, are found no where else in the world. The Nature Conservancy calls Kentucky's Green River "one of the top four river systems in the United States in terms of its fish and mussel diversity".

The majority of fish living in Kentucky's waters are "bony fish" and range in size from the small minnows of only a few centimeters in length to the large paddlefish and catfish that can reached over 68 kg (150 lbs) and 2 meters (or 6 feet) in length.

There are seven lamprey species known to live in Kentucky - American Brook Lamprey; Chestnut Lamprey; Least Brook Lamprey; Mountain Brook Lamprey; Northern Brook Lamprey; Ohio Lamprey; and the Silver Lamprey, respectively. Lampreys are jawless eel-like fish with no bony skeleton.

However, most fish are aquatic vertebrates and are ectothermic, or "cold-blooded", meaning they depend in large part on their environment for body temperature regulation.

Although there are exceptions, freshwater fish generally extract oxygen from the water through their gills; have skin layered with scales for protection; lay eggs to produce young; and move through the water by using their fins to propel forward, turn and brake or sometimes "dart". (Darter is a common name for a subgroup of the perch family that derive their name from their movements. Kentucky is home to almost half of the 140 known species of darters.)

Another common type of fish found in Kentucky are the shiners. A close relative of carp and the minnows, these fish are often used by anglers as bait for larger fish species such as bass. Carp were introduced into the waters of the U.S. in the late 19th century and are now widespread in freshwater streams across the Commonwealth.

A close relative of the carp and a large member of the sucker family found here is the Bigmouth Buffalo, or Common Buffalofish, so named because of its large head and slightly humped back. Kentucky is also home to the Black Buffalo and the Smallmouth Buffalo.

Pictured below are eight popular game or sport fish found in Kentucky waters.

Kentucky is home to the two known species of crappie in North America, the black crappie, pictured above, and the white crappie. Trigg County, Kentucky, part of which is in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, is known as the "Crappie Capital of the World".	The Brook Trout is a popular game fish found in Kentucky's freshwater lakes and streams. Normally smaller than other types of trout, the record holder caught in Kentucky weighed 1 lb. 5 ozs.
In May of 2004 a 32 lbs. Channel Catfish was caught out of the Ohio River. This "Channel Cat" was small compared to the world record  Blue Catfish (104 lbs) pulled from the Ohio in 1999 and the state record (97 lbs.) Flathead Catfish caught from the beautiful Green River in 1956.	The Common Carp, a member of the minnow family, generally weighs around 5 lbs. at maturity. Kentucky's record-setting Common Carp, pulled from the South Fork of the Licking River, weighed almost 55 lbs.
One of the most popular game fishes in North America, the Largemouth Bass is found throughout the central United States. Kentucky's record holder was caught from Wood Creek Lake, in Laurel County and weighed 13 lbs. 10.4 ozs.	The Muskellunge, or "muskie" is a North American Pike and a popular game fish that can reach eight feet and weigh over a hundred pounds at maturity. Kentucky's record muskellunge weighed a little over 44 lbs. and was caught from Cave Run Lake.
Smallmouth Bass generally grow no larger than five pounds. A world record (11 lbs. 15 ozs.) fish was pulled from Dale Hollow Lake. This popular game fish is found in dozens of Kentucky lakes and watercourses.	Sunfish found in Kentucky include the widespread and popular Bluegill or "Bream". This fish is stocked in hundreds of farm ponds across the state and many times is the young angler's "first catch".

Fish are an important food source for humans and as tobacco farming gradually diminishes from Kentucky, aquaculture is growing. Catfishes are the most widely grown species in the U.S. For more information on "fish farming", visit the web pages dedicated to aquaculture maintained by Kentucky State Unversity.