Breeding males may have a black tip on their dorsal fins. Breeding females are fatter and less colorful. With their bright blues and reds, males are often sold in pet stores. Breeding Breeding occurs spring to early fall. Red shiners usually breed over sunfish nests and vegetation even though the sunfish will eat them.
Males guard the sunfish nest area.
They may fan away the gravel in a spot. The parents release eggs and sperm over the area where they fall to the ground and stick. Females can lay up to 400 to 600 eggs. Sexually maturity is obtained after a few years and most adults only spawn a few times in their lives. Red shiners will hybridize with similar Cyprinella species which can adversely affect the other species survival.