striped shiner

striped shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus)
Photo © Bryce Gibson/Engbretson Underwater Photography

The striped shiner is three to five inches long. It has dark stripes on its back that meet behind the dorsal fin. The greenish back has a dark stripe in the center while the silver sides have a bronze cast. A large male and occasionally a female may have a pink or red body and fins. Dark pigment can be seen on the chin.

The striped shiner may be found statewide in Illinois except for the northwestern one-fourth. This fish lives in creeks and rivers with rock bottoms. The striped shiner swims in schools in association with other minnows. Spawning occurs in the spring over the nests of the hornyhead chub. This fish eats insects, fishes, plant material, algae and dead organic matter.

Kingdom: Animalia​
Phylum: Chordata​
Class: Actinopterygii​
Order: Cypriniformes​
Family: Leuciscidae