I guess after looking at them for 45+ years, you get a bit of an edge. Shiners are a bit more streamlined from the top. And scales are a big tell if you get close enough. They tend to glisten in sunlight from above. Gambusia and fhm are drab. But the behavior is the giveaway. Shiners are fast movers, they just dart and move fast, even if nothing is bothering them. Gambusia will stay on top, jump out of the water. FHM roll a lot when feeding, showing thier sides. And those males to get the big heads at spawn time. They swim erratically a lot, like they are stoned. And once that baitfish gets over 4 inches, very little doubt what it is. Some people say certain species school or don't school. That I really do not beleive. I've seen all of them school, or not. I actually have all three species in an aquarium in my living room just to observe thier behavior. The meanest fish pound for pound is the gambusia. But like you said, I have been doing this forever, point taken.
Last edited by The Pond Frog; 03/04/10 11:45 AM.
