A species ideally suited for life just below the water's surface. Terrestrial insects that land on the water are particularly desirable prey. Other foods usually found on surface vegetation include crustaceans, aquatic insects and algae. The starhead topminnow is always associated with vegetation. Found in only a few areas of Wisconsin, this fish is on the Wisconsin Endangered Species List.
Some fish are entirely predacious and feed mostly on other fish.
In no other Wisconsin species is this so pronounced as in the Iongnose gar. Armed with a long and slender snout filled with sharp unspecialized teeth, the longnose gar takes cover and lies in wait for prey to come by. Prey is usually impaled crosswise but eventually righted, moved backwards and swallowed by constant movements of the jaws. The Iongnose gar is often a good biological control for small undesirable species. It can be more than three feet long and is a widespread Wisconsin species.