Bigmouth shiner | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cypriniformes |
Family: | Cyprinidae |
Subfamily: | Leuciscinae |
Clade: | Pogonichthyinae |
Genus: | Notropis |
Species: | N. dorsalis |
Binomial name | |
Notropis dorsalis (Agassiz, 1854) | |
Synonyms | |
The bigmouth shiner (Notropis dorsalis), is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee. It is a common minnow species found in the midwest region, but found as far as the east coast. [2] There has been little information researched about this minnow outside of the general body plan and habitat. They are often found along with common shiner in streams.
The bigmouth shiner is a small minnow that reaches a size of about 3 inches. [3] It is grayish-yellow on back with silver sides and belly with a dark stripe down the middle of their side. The bigmouth shiner has a subterminal mouth, meaning the upper jaw overhangs the wide lower jaw, a characteristic trait of the species. As is characteristic of minnows, Notropis dorsalis has one dorsal fin with under ten soft fin rays. [3]
The bigmouth shiner is endemic to North America. It can be commonly found in the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins. It is also found in the Platte River system, Iowa, Illinois, and Arkansas. It can also be found as far east as the western regions of New York, and Pennsylvania, and northern parts of West Virginia. [1] Three sometimes recognized subspecies Notropis dorsalis dorsalis, N. d. piptolepis, and N. d. keimi. [4]
The bigmouth shiner prefers to live in shallow, swift moving streams. They can also be found in shallow pools of headwaters as well as small to medium rivers with sandy bottoms. [5]
Bigmouth shiners like to eat small aquatic invertebrates and terrestrial invertebrates that fall into the water. They have also been found to eat algae and other small vegetation at the bottom of the stream. [6]
Little is known about the reproductive habits of this species. It is known, however, that they spawn between May–August and that they spawn upstream allowing their eggs to flow downstream. [1]
Bigmouth shiners have been found to thrive in environments with increased channeling in streams, making human interaction beneficial at times. In Ohio the bigmouth shiner competes for environment with the invasive silverjaw minnow resulting in some reduced populations. Efforts to reduce pollution and erosion of banks can be taken to ensure the survival of the species. [5]
In Missouri bigmouth shiner reach a length of about 0.8 to 1.6 inches by the end of its first summer of life and probably reaches maturity during its second summer. [7]
The rosyface shiner is a small fresh water fish of the minnow and carp family (Cyprinidae). It is native to eastern North America.
The Cape Fear shiner is a North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the central part of the state of North Carolina in the southeastern United States, and is only found in the shallow streams of the Cape Fear River basin. The fish is small and yellow with black lips and a black stripe that runs down the middle of the fish's side. This shiner is normally found in mixed schools with other minnow species. It is unique amongst its genus because it has elongated intestines that are specifically adapted to a primarily herbivorous diet. It can breed twice a year and normally lives for only two or three years in the wild. The males and females are normally similar in appearance but become different colors in the spawning season. This species of shiner was not discovered until 1962.
The bridle shiner is a member of the minnow family (Cyprinidae). This species has been identified as being of Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
The sand shiner is a widespread North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. Sand shiners live in open clear water streams with sandy bottoms where they feed in schools on aquatic and terrestrial insects, bottom ooze and diatoms.
The common shiner is a freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, found in North America. It ranges in length between 4 and 6 inches, although they can reach lengths of up to 8 inches.
The pugnose shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis. It is in the family Cyprinidae which consists of freshwater carps and minnows. Cyprinidae is the largest fish family which consists of about 369 genera and 3,018 species. Its distribution has been decreasing due to the removal of aquatic plants in order to create swimming beaches and boating access in freshwater lakes and is now mostly found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
The bigeye shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis. This fish is a slender, silvery minnow with a dusky lateral stripe and a maximum total length of about 80 mm. Its distinct characteristic is its large-diameter eyes. It is a common species in upland streams of the middle Mississippi River system. Bigeye shiners prefer warm, quiet pools with clear water and silt-free substrates. Siltation, channelization, and gravel dredging are all threats to bigeye shiner populations. During spawning season, typically late April to August, bigeye shiners have several clutches of eggs. State agencies and the EPA have both played a role in the surveying of bigeye shiner populations. Populations have decreased in Ohio due mostly to habitat destruction. In addition to habitat destruction by humans, habitat alteration of the small streams and dried pools has also had a significant effect on abundance. Rivers and streams should not be channelized or modified in any way, which is becoming an increasingly popular trend in urban locations. Agricultural areas and properties within the watershed should adhere to regulations to prevent runoff into the streams.
The rainbow shiner is a North American species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.
The blackchin shiner is an abundant North American species of freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae. Described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1865, it is not a well-known species. It is a close relative of the blacknose shiner. Chiefly occurring now in the Great Lakes and occasionally in upper Mississippi River drainages, the blackchin once ranged commonly as far south as Illinois and Ohio. This fish resides over sandy bottoms in cool waters that provide a lot of cover for the small minnow. Omnivorous, it eats worms and small arthropods as well as plant material. Blackchin shiners are unique because of their anatomical features, such as the black coloring, the incomplete lateral line, and a distinctive dental arrangement.
The spottail shiner or spottail minnow is a small- to medium-sized freshwater minnow. It can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. These shiners live in lakes, rivers, and creeks. They occupy the rocky or sandy shorelines and bottoms of the water. One of the defining features of a spottail shiner is the black spot found at the base of the caudal fin. These shiners generally spawn from late June through July.
The longnose shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.
The taillight shiner is a species of freshwater fish in the cyprinid family. It is commonly found in the south-eastern USA.
The Ozark minnow is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.
The mimic shiner is a species of North American cyprinid freshwater fish in the genus Notropis. The genus Notropis is commonly known as the eastern shiners. It is native to areas of the Hudson Bay drainage, Great Lakes drainage, much of the Mississippi River basin including areas of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and regions of the Gulf of Mexico extending from Mobile Bay to the drainage of Texas. However, this particular species can be found in other places such as the Atlantic Coast drainage in Connecticut and Housatonic rivers. This genus is usually characterized by almost all having a complete lateral line, 8 dorsal fin rays, a premaxillae protactile, and a silvery or speckled peritoneum. As the common name indicates, this species is difficult to classify in the wild because it looks similar to many other shiners. In fact, some even hypothesize that this species is actually a complexity of many cryptic species. While this is the case, it is important to take more caution to not misidentify this species and to understand its impact on introduced areas.
The ironcolor shiner is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the family Cyprinidae, the minnows and carps. It is a widespread species in streams and rivers in eastern North America.
The red shiner or red-horse minnow is a North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. They are deep-bodied and laterally compressed, and can grow to about three inches in length. For most of the year, both males and females have silver sides and whitish abdomens. Males in breeding coloration, though, have iridescent pink-purple-blue sides and a red crown and fins.
The brassy minnow is a species of fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. The family Cyprinidae consists of mainly freshwater minnows and carps. The fish gets its scientific name from the Greek word Hybognathus, meaning bulging jaw, and hankinsoni from the American scientist, T.L. Hankinson. It is commonly found throughout the northern United States and Canada.
The scarlet shiner is a freshwater fish native to the eastern United States.
The bleeding shiner is a freshwater ray-finned minnow in the family Leuciscidae, which was recently changed to distinguish between North American and Asian minnows. It occurs in tributaries of Ozark-draining tributaries of the Missouri, and Mississippi rivers in southern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas. Its preferred habitat is rocky and sandy pools and runs of headwaters, creeks and small rivers.