I found a site that discusses how to distinguish adult bullhead males from fatheads. The bullhead male develops only 9 tubercules on its head while fatheads develop 16 or more. The bluntnose develops three rows tubercules but I haven't been able to find out how many.

The webpage can be found HERE. By the way the txstate.fishesoftexas.org is a decent resource as web based resources go. On each species, if one scrolls down there will be a subheading "Phylogeny and morphologically similar fishes" which might prove helpful where the identity is uncertain.

I'll try to collect an adult when they grow up and hoping they don't migrate downstream before that happens. In James' tank 2 dozen have be reduced to 1 by his <2" GSF shocked. He was fat. Interesting thing about the GSF is that he was getting along fine with the shiners and gams. Some of the gams are no longer than the Pimephales were. We returned the GSF and the 2.5" BH from whence they came and so we will be able to collect some more Pimephales for the tank. We will try to grow them to adults in the tank.

More research has me doubting my shiners are red shiner and I am wondering if they may be mimic shiner which native range we are also in. My male is coloring up but is lacking the blues associated with red shiner. Tubercules have developed on its head and the top of its head and fin margins have reddened. The appearance matches mimic shiner description of males entering puberty. I have a lot to learn about species identification particularly with the small fish and invertebrates.

On another note, my son, focused observer that he is, discovered our drainage ditch is teaming with some type of amphipod. I think it is Hyallela Azteca but not for sure exactly. They are small reaching lengths of only 4 mm or so. I know they are sexually reproductive at this length because I noticed several of that size coupled with mates. I suspect they are helping to support the remarkable minnow populations in the ditch. James now has decided to culture them on the back porch to feed to the tank fish.

Last edited by jpsdad; 05/16/20 10:08 PM.

It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so - Will Rogers