# Spike Head fish. What is it?



## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Went out fishing at yates and I caught a wierd fish. Description of fish 
Spikes on head 
Red and pink gills 
green stripe going down the side 
ugly looking scale's


Could this be a so called chinese steelhead.
One of my friend's said it was a cowfish
Im going to post this on the other forum's so everyone see's it because I really wanna know what this is.....Thanks


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## wolfgang510 (Feb 15, 2001)

How big was the fish. I've caught some large red-sided dace with spikes or horns on the head. Did it have a sucker type mouth? What did you catch it on?


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## Woolybugger (Feb 26, 2001)

Hey Stelmon caught his first steelie! I knew they were in there.

Seriously, there are some daces with small horns. Maybe a sculpin?


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

wolf, the fish was bout 8 inches. I caught it on a salmon smolt or what ever u wanna call it. Wooly, it was not a steelhead


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

Sounds like an Eurasian Ruff (spelling) that the dnr pictures all the time in the fishing guide. They are an exotic species brought in by the balast water of ships. They are supposed to be bad for the waters. Look in the fishing manual and see if it looks the same.


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## mickey (Sep 25, 2000)

I know what it was. I didn't realize it was only 8". What you caught was a creek chub. I have caught these in many streams, including the clinton. For some reason, a lot of them (in a lot of streams) have little spikes on their heads. Really kind of sick looking or disease looking. BUT, the fish was a little chub. Paint creek is full of them.


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## steelslam (Apr 8, 2001)

that mystery fish sounds like a horned dace. but it is not a sculpin. as the sculpins ive caught in the u.p. were a very dark color almost black an even scary lookin them sculpins were.


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## trout (Jan 17, 2000)

I would guees it is a Hornyhead Chub ( Nocomis biguttatus) size to 10" Stout olive brown sides light olive , young have black lateral stripe.
Males have red spot behind eye and 60-130.
Tubercles on head 
These fish feed on insects,crustaceans,snails and algae.


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

Here it is if anyone wants to see it


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## kingfisher2 (Mar 22, 2001)

Trout is correct. It is a type of chub that frequents the trout streams I fish. I have caught several throughout the years. I have even used smaller ones to catch browns.

Good fishing to all..........and share your experience with a kid!


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2001)

Ive caught them before, the spiky things on there head just send chills up my spine though its sick.


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## fishteach (Sep 9, 2001)

The fish is some kind of a chub. I can't tell for sure from the picture, but most likely it's a creek chub or river chub, both of which are common to the Clinton. The horns/spikes on his head are called tubercles and are only found on the breeding males. 

http://www.crwc.org


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## stelmon (Sep 21, 2000)

I think we figure it was a red horned dace. I think, Welcome to the site!!!


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