minnow, in North America, any of various small fishes, especially those of the carp family, Cyprinidae. The name minnow is also applied to mud minnows (family Umbridae), killifishes (Cyprinodontidae), and, in a general way, the young of many large fishes. For topminnows, see live-bearer.
The North American cyprinid minnows comprise numerous species of small freshwater fishes that are known by such names as shiner (genera Notemigonus and Notropis) and bluntnose and fathead minnow (Pimephales). Many are abundant, and a number are valuable as live bait; sometimes they are cultured for this purpose. One good bait species is the bluntnose minnow (P. notatus), an olive-coloured species up to 10 cm (4 inches) long. Others include the 6-centimetre fathead minnow (P. promelas) and the common shiner (Notropis cornutus), a blue and silver minnow up to 20 cm long. The golden shiner, or American roach (Notemigonus cryseleucas), a larger, greenish and golden minnow attaining a length of 30 cm and a weight of 0.7 kg (1.5 pounds), is both edible and valuable as bait.
The minnow of Europe and northern Asia is Phoxinus phoxinus, a slim, small-scaled fish typical of clean streams and rivers. Also a member of the carp family, it is usually about 7.5 cm long. It varies in colour from golden to green, and the male, like certain other male cyprinids, develops a bright red underside during the spring breeding season. This minnow, like many others, is a valuable source of food for fishes, birds, and other animals.