Ghost Shiner
The ghost shiner is a tiny, nearly transparent minnow found in southern Ontario — specifically the Thames River watershed and Lake St. Clair drainage. It isn't a target species for anglers; it turns up in baitfish traps and seine surveys.
Its value in Canada is ecological: an indicator of clean, low-gradient river habitat, and a forage fish for larger predators.
- Pale silvery-white body, almost translucent; scales on the back may show faint dark edging in clear water but are unmarked in turbid conditions.
- Slender, torpedo-shaped with a noticeably tall, pointed dorsal fin and a small rounded snout with a small mouth — no barbels.
- Adults typically run 1.5 to 2.5 inches (about 38–63 mm); easily confused with the mimic shiner, but the ghost shiner lacks the sensory canal under the eye.
- Breeding males develop small tubercles across the front half of the body and top of the head; no special spawning coloration.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to southern Ontario; first confirmed in the Thames River watershed in 1979, later found along the eastern Lake Huron shore and the Lake St. Clair drainage.
- Occupies quiet pools and backwaters of low-gradient creeks and rivers, especially near the mouths of smaller tributaries where they meet larger waterways.
- Prefers clean sand or fine gravel bottoms with some submerged aquatic vegetation such as pondweed; avoids high-gradient, fast-water reaches.
- Uncommon in Ontario (provincial rank S3); the population appears stable but is restricted to a small portion of southwestern Ontario.
Key Locations
- Thames River watershed, southwestern Ontario — the first confirmed Canadian population, discovered in 1979.
- Lake St. Clair drainage and eastern Lake Huron tributaries — additional Ontario records documented from the 1970s onward.
Specific Spots
- Gentle eddies and slack pools just off the main current — especially where a smaller creek enters a larger river, creating a current break and sediment deposit.
- Backwater sloughs and slow bends with sand or gravel substrate and rooted aquatic vegetation, which provide both cover and invertebrate forage.
- Mid-water column in deeper pools of large creeks; schools often mix with other small minnow species in these calmer zones.
Ghost Shiner FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
How do you catch Ghost Shiner?
The ghost shiner is not targeted by anglers. It occasionally enters minnow traps set for baitfish and appears in electrofishing surveys. Its primary relevance to anglers is as forage for larger predators in southwestern Ontario rivers.
What do Ghost Shiner eat?
Feeds on small aquatic invertebrates, primarily aquatic insect larvae and other stream drift. Diet has not been formally studied, but gut contents from related shiners point to midge larvae, mayfly nymphs, and small crustaceans.
Where do Ghost Shiner live?
Native to southern Ontario; first confirmed in the Thames River watershed in 1979, later found along the eastern Lake Huron shore and the Lake St. Clair drainage. Occupies quiet pools and backwaters of low-gradient creeks and rivers, especially near the mouths of smaller tributaries where they meet larger waterways.
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