List of fishes of Kansas

There are roughly 135 recorded species of fish in the U.S. State of Kansas. This list is an amalgamation of the works Cross & Collins books Handbook of Fishes of Kansas (1967) and Fishes in Kansas (1995) as well as Current Status of Native Fish Species in Kansas (2005) by multiple authors and the Pocket Guide of Kansas Stream Fishes by Jessica Mounts (2017). The following tags note species in each of those categories:


 * (I) - Introduced
 * (Ex) - Extirpated
 * (Pe) - Possibly Extirpated

Background
Kansas is located in the Great Plains region which is characterized by mostly slow-running rivers and a near total absence of large naturally occurring lakes excluding oxbows and a few shallow salt marshes and sloughs. Since the European settlement of the area, many rivers and creeks have been dammed creating large reservoirs, largely by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. The biggest of these reservoirs is Milford Lake at 15,709 acres. Kansas is home to 12 rivers basins, all of which drain into the Gulf of Mexico approximately 507 miles south.

Order Petromyzontiformes (Lampreys)
Family Petromyzontidae (Northern lampreys)
 * Chestnut lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus) (Ex)

Order Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons & paddlefish)
Family Acipenseridae (Sturgeons) Family Polyodontidae (Paddlefish)
 * Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) (Ex)
 * Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) (Pe)
 * Shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)
 * American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)

Order Lepisosteiformes (Gars)
Family Lepisosteidae (Gars)
 * Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
 * Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
 * Shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus)

Order Hiodontiformes (Mooneyes)
Family Hiodontidae (Mooneyes)
 * Goldeye (Hiodon alosoides)

Order Anguilliformes (Eels)
Family Anguillidae (Freshwater eels)
 * American eel (Anguilla rostrata) (Pe)

Order Clupeiformes (Herrings & relatives)
Family Alosidae (Shads & sardines)
 * Skipjack shad (Alosa chrysochloris)
 * American gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum)
 * Threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense) (I)(Ex)

Order Cypriniformes (Carps, minnows, and relatives)
Family Catostomidae (Suckers) Family Cyprinidae (cyprinids) Family Leuciscidae (True minnows)
 * River carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio)
 * Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus)
 * Highfin carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer)
 * White sucker (Catostomus commersonii)
 * Blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus)
 * Northern hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans)
 * Smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)
 * Bigmouth buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
 * Black buffalo (Ictiobus niger)
 * Spotted sucker (Minytrema melanops)
 * River redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum)
 * Black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnii)
 * Golden redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum)
 * Shorthead redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)
 * Pealip redhorse (Moxostoma pisolabrum)
 * Goldfish (Carassius auratus) (I)
 * Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) (I)
 * European carp (Cyprinus carpio) (I)
 * Amur carp (Cyprinus rubrofuscus) (I)
 * Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) (I)
 * Bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) (I)
 * Black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus (I)
 * Central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)
 * Bluntface shiner (Cyprinella camura)
 * Red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis)
 * Spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera)
 * Gravel chub (Erimystax x-punctatus)
 * Speckled chub (Extrarius aestivalis)
 * Western silvery minnow (Hybognathus argyritis)
 * Brassy minnow (Hybognathus hankinsoni)
 * Plains minnow (Hybognathus placitus)
 * Bigmouth shiner (Hybopsis dorsalis)
 * Cardinal shiner (Luxilus cardinalis)
 * Striped shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus)
 * Common shiner (Luxilus cornutus)
 * Redfin shiner (Lythrurus umbratilis)
 * Sturgeon chub (Macrhybopsis gelida)
 * Sicklefin chub (Macrhybopsis meeki)
 * Silver chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana)
 * Hornyhead chub (Nocomis biguttatus)
 * Redspot chub (Nocomis asper)
 * Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
 * Emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides)
 * Red River shiner (Notropis bairdi)
 * River shiner (Notropis blennius)
 * Bigeye shiner (Notropis boops)
 * Ghost shiner (Notropis buchanani)
 * Pugnose minnow (Notropis emiliae) (Ex)
 * Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi) (Ex)
 * Blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis) (Ex)
 * Sand shiner (Notropis ludibundus)
 * Ozark minnow (Notropis nubilus)
 * Carmine shiner (Notropis percobromus)
 * Rosyface shiner (Notropis rubellus)
 * Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka)
 * Mimic shiner (Notropis volucellus)
 * Suckermouth minnow (Phenacobius mirabilis)
 * Southern redbelly dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster)
 * Bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus)
 * Fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)
 * Slim minnow (Pimephales tenellus)
 * Bullhead minnow (Pimephales vigilax)
 * Flathead chub (Platygobio gracilis)
 * Western blacknose dace (Rhinichthys obtusus)
 * Creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)

Order Siluriformes (Catfishes)
Family Ictaluridae (North American freshwater catfishes)
 * Black bullhead (Ameiurus melas)
 * Yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis)
 * Brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus) (I) (Pe)
 * Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
 * Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
 * Slender madtom (Noturus exilis)
 * Stonecat (Noturus flavus)
 * Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus)
 * Brindled madtom (Noturus miurus)
 * Freckled madtom (Noturus noctumus)
 * Neosho madtom (Noturus placidus)
 * Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)

Order Esociformes (Pikes and mudminnows)
Family Esocidae (Pikes)
 * Northern pike (Exos lucius) (I)

Order Gadiformes (Cods)
Family Lotidae (Lingcods)
 * Burbot (Lota lota) (Ex)

Order Cyprinodontiformes (Toothcarps)
Family Fundulidae (Topminnows & Killifish) Family Poeciliidae (Livebearers) Family Atherinidae (Silversides)
 * Northern studfish (Fundulus catenatus)
 * Blackstripe topminnow (Fundulus notatus)
 * Plains topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus)
 * Plains killifish (Fundulus zebrinus)
 * Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affini) (I)
 * Brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus)

Order Scorpaeniformes (Sculpins)
Family Cottidae (Sculpins)
 * Banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae)

Order Perciformes (Perch-liked fish)
Family Moronidae (Temperate basses) Family Centrarchidae (Sunfishes) Family Percidae (Perches) Family Sciaenidae (Drums)
 * White bass (Morone chrysops)
 * Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) (I)
 * Rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) (I)
 * Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
 * Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
 * Orangespotted sunfish (Lepomis humilis)
 * Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
 * Longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
 * Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) (I)
 * Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
 * Spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
 * Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
 * White crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
 * Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) (I)
 * Greenside darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
 * Bluntnose darter (Etheostoma chlorosomum)
 * Arkansas darter (Etheostoma cragini)
 * Fantail darter (Etheostoma flabellare)
 * Slough darter (Etheostoma gracile)
 * Least darter (Etheostoma microperca)
 * Johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum)
 * Stippled darter (Etheostoma punctulatum)
 * Orangethroat darter (Etheostoma spectabile)
 * Speckled darter (Etheostoma stigmaeum)
 * Redfin darter (Etheostoma whipplii)
 * Banded darter (Etheostoma zonale)
 * Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) (I)
 * Common logperch (Percina caprodes)
 * Channel darter (Percina copelandi)
 * Blackside darter (Percina maculata)
 * Slenderhead darter (Percina phoxocephala)
 * River darter (Percina shumardi)
 * Sauger (Stizostedion canadense)
 * Walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) (I)
 * Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)