Bluntnose Minnow
The bluntnose minnow has stout half ray in front of the usual 8 rays on the dorsal fin and the scales on the back between the head and dorsal fin are small and squished together. There is a dark spot of pigment on the first two or three dorsal rays about mid way up the fin. Bluntnose minnows have a rounded head and slightly sub-terminal (ending below tip of snout) mouth. They have dark edges to the scales which gives them the appearance of a crosshatching pattern over much of their body. Breeding males can be very dark in coloration and have 3 rows of large pointed tubercles (horn like bumps) on there snout. They also have a spongy pad on the back between the head and dorsal fin. The bluntnose minnow differs from the closely related fathead minnow by a dark mid lateral stripe that runs from the snout to the tail with a black spot at the base of the tail. This stripe can be absent when they are caught from muddy water but the black spot is usually still visible. They also have a complete lateral line, which the fathead minnow does not have. Another closely related species, the bullhead minnow, differs by having not as long and slender of a body, also lacks a distinct lateral stripe, and has a dark crescent shaped mark of pigment on the side of the snout. Both of these species lack the dark scale edges that give the bluntnose minnow a crosshatched appearance.
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