SCIENTIFIC NAME: Notropis maculatus CHARACTERISTICS: The
taillight shiner is a slender species with a rounded, blunt
snout projecting slightly beyond the upper lip. The eyes are
relatively large, and the small oblique mouth is somewhat
inferior. At the base of the tail occurs a characteristic round,
darkly pigmented spot. The spot is separate from a narrow, dusky
lateral band that extends from the gill opening to the tail.
Scale edges are outlined with black, giving the species its
distinctive diamond shaped pattern along the sides. The body of
breeding males is flushed with red or pink throughout, as are
the outer third of the first few rays of the dorsal, anal, and
pelvic fins and the edging along the caudal fin tips. The
taillight shiner may be confused with the pugnose minnow,
Opsopoeodus emiliae, but the latter can be recognized by its
nearly vertical mouth. ADULT SIZE: 1.8 to 2.4 in (45 to 60 mm)
DISTRIBUTION: This species' spotty distribution is likely a
collecting artifact, since its preferred habitat