KENTUCKY CROSSWORDS

Kentucky Animal Life: Fish Species

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife list 242 known fish species, "currently and historically observed", in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

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. 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 United States in the late nineteenth 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 in Kentucky 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.