About Common Shiner
The common shiner is a deep-bodied and slab-sided large species of minnow. They have large scales and silvery sides with a darker colored back. They usually have a few dark colored scales which look like dark blotches along their sides. The best way to distinguish common shiners from striped shiners is the scales directly behind the head on their back. On a common shiner these scales are smaller than the scales on the rest of the back and appeared squished together and on a striped shiner they are relatively evenly sized compared to the rest of the scales on the back. Breeding males get a bright pinkish-red coloration on their sides, lower fins, and rear edge of their tail. They also get small pointy bumps on their head called tubercles which they use to defend territories.