Golden Redhorse

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

• Ohio141 iNat obs
• Minnesota134 iNat obs
• Ontario108 iNat obs
• Michigan102 iNat obs
• Wisconsin88 iNat obs
• Illinois69 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Golden Redhorse

• IllinoisUnited States · official source

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

• BluegillLepomis macrochirus
• European CarpCyprinus carpio
• Brown TroutSalmo trutta
• Eastern MosquitofishGambusia holbrooki