This lifeform is found east of the Continental Divide in North America. This lifeform is found in freshwater such as lakes or rivers. This lifeform is widespread, but not common.

Spottail Shiner (Notropis hudsonicus) is found in most of the Canadian Provinces and south to Illinois and the Carolinas. Although the spot at the base of the tail is not always present, it serves to help identify this species that can be up to 5 1/2 inches in length. This specimen was bred in the Ozarks for the bait trade.

Carp Family, Cyprinidae, is a group of freshwater fishes that  contains the carp, the familiar goldfish, the bream, and many  other kinds of fish.

Order Cypriniformes contains the majority of the world's  freshwater species of fish. Included in this order are the  minnows, carp, and many other groups of fish.

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that  include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They  are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are  found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.