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Banned
Pimephales notatus
from the Family Cyprinidae: Minnows are a huge family of fishes. About 2,100 species are distributed in North America, Eurasia and Africa. North America alone (north of Mexico) has over 230 species of minnows. In Pennsylvania, 39 native minnow species have been documented in recent years, in 13 groups, or genera. There are also introduced minnows, like carp and goldfish. Many minnow species may be present in the same water area. Fifteen or more may be found together in streams with high biodiversity, like the tributaries of the Allegheny River. In all, minnows make up 25 percent of Pennsylvania’s total fish fauna.
The young of most fish, including game fish, are sometimes incorrectly called “minnows,” because of their small size. True minnows belong to the scientifically defined Cyprinidae family. They may be quite large, like a 50-pound carp, or a scant three inches long, like the blacknose dace. Other members of the minnow family provide fishermen’s bait and are an important food source for game fish. In turn, minnows may eat the eggs and young of sport fishes and compete for available food. Nevertheless, all minnows and other non-game fish are an important part of Pennsylvania’s aquatic life regardless of whether they provide food for “game fish.”
Some minnows, like the common shiner, are plentiful and widespread in Pennsylvania. Some minnows are sensitive to pollution and are indicators of water quality akin to the "canary in the coal mine" . The gravel chub is so rare, it is an endangered species in my state.