Where Does Common Shiner Live?

Common Shiner lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.

Where to find Common Shiner

Water type

freshwater

Depth

Typically found in shallow to moderate depths (0.5-2 meters), but can be found deeper in larger rivers.

Environment

Prefers clear, cool to warm streams and small to medium-sized rivers with moderate to swift currents. Often found over gravel or rocky substrates, and in pools or runs with some cover from submerged vegetation or woody debris. Also inhabits lakes and reservoirs, particularly near tributary mouths.

Geographic range

Widely distributed across eastern and central North America, from the Atlantic drainages of Nova Scotia south to Georgia, and west through the Great Lakes basin and Mississippi River system to the eastern Great Plains (e.g., eastern Kansas, Oklahoma).

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