WESTERN PA FISH FAMILIES CLUPIDAE AND ESOCIDAE
Family Clupidae
Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus)
Anadromous species. Found in deeper water of Lake Erie. Not very tolerant of pollution, development, or damming.
return
American Shad (Alosa sapidissima)
Anadromous species. Travels up large rivers during the spring. Some individuals return to natal woodsheds. Not tolerant of pollution. (found in small numbers around the area)
(Dorosoma cepedianum)Found in lakes, impoundments, large low gradient streams (waters highly populated with phytoplankton) Tolerant of turbid and clear waters.
Hickory Shad (Alosa mediocris)
Spawns in freshwater rivers. Feeds on variety of invertebrates and small fishes.
(Alosa chrysochloris)
Found in Ohio River. Prefers clear waters and tends to avoid more turbid waters.
Found in streams, freshwater lakes, and Ohio River.
Family Esocidae
Found in ponds and weedy lakes west of the Appalachians. Usually found near submerged brush and aquatic vegetation.
Found in thickly vegetated waters of base- or low-gradient streams, marshes, springs, lakes, and ponds. During migrations, may be found in muddy waters with silted bottoms.
Subspecies include the Great Lakes (Esox masquinongy masquinongy) and the Ohio (Esox masquinongy ohioensis) Muskellunges. The spots on the body of the Great Lakes seem to form oblique rows whereas the spots on the Ohio do not form well-defined rows.
The Ohio Muskellunge is found in clear, slow-moving waters thick with aquatic vegetation, timber, and submerged brush. Also found in Monongahela River and Dutch Fork Lake. The Great Lakes Muskellunge can be found in the bays and the deeper, larger tributaries of Lake Erie during summer and early fall, and spawn in shallower waters such as streams and marshes during the colder months.
Found in Lake Erie. Migrates to marshes and bays during early months of spring.
