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Montana Animal Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Goldeye - Hiodon alosoides

  • Goldeye Color Plate
  • Goldeye Black-and-White Plate
  • Goldeye Photograph
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Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S5

Agency Status
USFWS: none
USFS: none
BLM: none
CFWCS Tier: 3
 

General Description
Members of the Mooneye family are moderately sized fishes with deep, flat-sided bodies covered by large silvery scales. They resemble herrings. They have large, reflective eyes with rods only, no cones. This makes them uniquely adapted to see under low light conditions but they cannot detect colors.

Diagnostic Characteristics
Large scales. Well-developed teeth on jaws, roof of mouth, and tongue.

General Distribution
Montana Range


 


Summary of Observations Submitted for Montana
Number of Observations: 103

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Relative Density

Recency

 

(Records associated with a range of dates are excluded from time charts)



Migration
May make extensive migrations to spawn in tributary streams.

Habitat
Large rivers and reservoirs; adapted to turbid water. Prefers calm waters for spawning and incubation.

Food Habits
Mostly insects; crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish also.

Ecology
Young of year goldeye in middle Missouri River prefer backwater and side channel pool habitats as rearing areas.

Reproductive Characteristics
Spawns from late March through May. Sex mature at 3-4 yrs. Spawns in schools, eggs semi-buoyant. Spawned first in May in middle Missouri River.

Citations & Sources
  • Holton, G. D. 2003. A field guide to Montana fishes. Mont. Dept. Fish, Wildl. Parks, 95 pp.
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Citation for data on this website:
Goldeye — Hiodon alosoides.  Montana Field Guide.  Retrieved on February 9, 2010, from http://FieldGuide.mt.gov/detail_AFCGA01010.aspx
 
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