Spottail Shiner
(Notropis hudsonius)

Length: 2-4 inches [5-10 cm]
Weight: 0.35-0.70 ounces [10-20 grams]
Coloring: silvery over pale olive on the back; sides silvery, belly white; clear fins except for a black spot at the base of
the caudal fin
Common Names: spawneater, spottail minnow, spottail, sucking carp, shiner
Great Lakes Habitat: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario,
Lake Huron, Lake Erie

This small, silvery minnow is common in rivers and in the shallow waters of the Great Lakes. Notable for a dark spot at the base of its tail fin, this fish is an important prey species for other fish like white bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, and muskellunge, and for fish-eating birds like the loon, common tern, American merganser, and kingfisher. The spottail shiner is also important to anglers - it's a common bait minnow used to lure yellow perch, bass, northern pike, and walleye.