Q. After reading the story “Refuge for Tullibees” in Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine, I’m wondering whether tullibees are related to shiners like the ones commonly sold for bait.
A: No, they are not related. They do look alike (large scales and a silvery body), but shiners are a warmwater fish in the cyprinid family. Tullibees are a coldwater fish in the salmonid family, which includes trout and salmon. This is why tullibees are particularly vulnerable to changes in water temperature and dissolved oxygen during the summer months.
-- Pete Jacobson
Jacobson is DNR fisheries research supervisor.
