Species profile
Golden Redhorse
Moxostoma erythrurum
At a glance
Golden Redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
Confirmed by 1,010 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Ohio, Minnesota, and Ontario the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- The Golden Redhorse is a sucker (family Catostomidae), not a minnow or carp.
- Its protractile, downward-facing mouth is shaped for vacuuming invertebrates off gravel bottoms.
- Brassy gold scales give it a distinctive metallic shimmer in clear stream water.
- It requires clean, well-oxygenated, gravel-bottomed streams — a reliable indicator of good water quality.
- It is listed as a species of concern in several states due to siltation and habitat loss.
Where Golden Redhorse are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Golden Redhorse
Background
The golden redhorse, Moxostoma erythrurum, is a species of freshwater fish endemic to Ontario and Manitoba in Canada and the Midwestern, southern, and eastern United States. It lives in calm, often silty or sandy waters in streams, small to large rivers, and lakes.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Golden Redhorse article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.