| Blacktail shiner | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Leuciscidae |
| Subfamily: | Pogonichthyinae |
| Genus: | Cyprinella |
| Species: | C. venusta |
| Binomial name | |
| Cyprinella venusta Girard, 1856 | |
| Synonyms | |
The blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta) is a small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to the United States.
The blacktail shiner is a somewhat slender minnow with 8-9 rays on the anal fin, and a prominent black spot at the base of the caudal fin (tail fin). [2] The back is usually yellowish-olive, and the sides are silvery with hints of blue. Adults usually reach 4 inches (100 mm) in length. The blacktail shiner has a large, black caudal spot which distinguishes it from most other minnows. The caudal spot of the blacktail shiner may be faint, especially in populations inhabiting turbid waters, and they could likely be confused with the red shiner (C. lutrensis); however, the red shiner has 9 anal rays (versus 8) and usually 35 or fewer lateral scales (versus 36 or more).
The blacktail shiner occurs in Gulf of Mexico drainages from Suwannee River, Georgia and Florida, to Rio Grande, Texas; Mississippi River basin (mostly on Former Mississippi Embayment) from southern Illinois to Louisiana and west in Red River drainage to western Oklahoma. [3]
Blacktail shiners are found in the southern United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. [4] The species ranges east and west from north central Florida to West Texas, and north to southern Illinois. In Texas, blacktail shiners are unknown in the Panhandle, being found primarily from the Edwards Plateau eastward.
The blacktail shiner has also been found from the Rio Grande basin in Texas, east to the Suwannee River, and north through the Mississippi River basin to the confluence of the Ohio River. Two of the three recognized subspecies occur in Alabama. [5] The slender blacktail shiner, C. v. stigmaturus, is found in the upper Mobile River basin (most frequently above the Fall Line), while the eastern blacktail shiner, C. v. cercositgma, occurs in the lower Mobile River basin and coastal rivers draining the state. Intergradations between these subspecies have been recognized in the Alabama, Cahaba, and Tallapoosa river systems. [6]
The blacktail shiner feeds primarily on invertebrates. Its diet includes algae, seeds, and aquatic and terrestrial insects. Aquatic insects and algae were the most common food items of blacktail shiners in the Blanco River, Texas; sediment and detritus were found in 21% of the 36 guts examined. [7] Blacktail shiners feed primarily during the day. Blacktail shiners may serve as major food resource for piscivorous spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) during the summer in Village Creek (Neches River), Texas. [8]
The blacktail shiner is most common in pools and runs of clear, sandy-bottomed, small to medium rivers, typically in areas with sparse vegetation and strong current, but upland populations occur in creeks over substrates with more gravel and rubble. [9] [3] Populations in the western part of the species' range are often found in turbid water. Blacktail shiner mesohabitat is ubiquitously distributed among pools, runs, and riffles with silt, gravel, and bedrock substrates. In the Blanco River, Texas, blacktail shiners were most abundant in swift runs in the spring and summer. [7] The species occurred throughout the year in riffle and sandbank habitats in Village Creek (Neches River), Texas. During summer, most individuals were collected from sandbank habitats; they were also found in deep channel and riffle habitats, though no blacktail shiners longer than 47 millimeters (1.9 in) occurred in riffles. Individuals smaller than 17 millimeters (0.67 in) were found predominately in riffle habitats during fall and winter. Juveniles occurred almost exclusively in sandbank mesohabitat during spring. [8] Blacktail shiners are commonly found in sandy or rocky areas of Lake Texoma (Oklahoma/Texas), generally in clearer water of the downstream area; they are occasionally abundant in the tailwaters, and rarely found in the headwaters.
The blacktail shiner hybridizes with the red shiner (C. lutrensis) in Texas [10] and in Illinois. [11]
The lifespan of the blacktail shiner is up to 4 years in the Leaf River system, Mississippi and up to 5 years in the Blanco River, Texas. [7] [ unreliable source? ]
In Texas, the blacktail shiner spawning season is April through September. [7] In Mississippi, it is late March through early October, with most females reproductive from April to early September. [12] [13] In Village Creek, Texas, blacktail shiners revealed size distribution patterns consistent with a protracted spawning season. [8]
Prime spawning habitat for the blacktail shiner is in fractional crevices; generally located in flowing water, preferring crevices in current velocities of 0.30 meters per second (0.98 ft/s). [14] Populations in reservoirs chose crevice sites in locations of much lower current speeds. [14] In the Blanco River, Texas, blacktail shiners were observed depositing eggs underneath small boulders and large cobble in a bedrock riffle in the swiftest current velocities available. Males respond to sounds produced by spawning females and are able to distinguish these sounds from those produced by related female red shiners. Males are territorial, defending a crevice from other males. Breeding pair swims along the crevice, the female deposits eggs; usually the sperm has already been released into the crevice, so the eggs are deposited into a crevice with viable sperm. Immediately after spawning, the male doubles back and eats any eggs that failed to make it into the crevice. Small males (sneakers) try to fertilize eggs by darting between the dominant male and spawning female. Both large and small males will enter another male's territory and deposit sperm in a crevice before the male courts a female to lay eggs in the crevice. [12]
One study in the Blanco River, Texas found that female blacktail shiners had up to 340 ova. [7] Another study in southwestern Mississippi found that clutch sizes ranged between 139 and 459 ova in females 48.6–72.0 millimeters (1.91–2.83 in); average mature ovum diameter was 1.15 millimeters (0.045 in); ovaries in mature females constituted 5.8-19.1% of the somatic body weight. [12] Females from the Pearl River, Mississippi, spawned 20-46 clutches during the reproductive season. [14] The size of sexual maturation is between 32 millimeters (1.3 in) and 42 millimeters (1.7 in). [12]
In the Leaf River system, Mississippi, average length was 24 millimeters (0.94 in) for age 1, 46 millimeters (1.8 in) for age 2, and 72 millimeters (2.8 in) for age 3; populations consisted mainly of age classes 0 and I [14] In the first year, blacktail shiners reach about 45 to 60 millimeters (1.8 to 2.4 in). [14] Average length was 45 millimeters (1.8 in) for age 0, 66 millimeters (2.6 in) for age 1, 90 millimeters (3.5 in) for age 3 and older in the Blanco River, Texas. [7]
The blacktail shiner is of relatively low conservation concern. [1] Their populations are stable, but some issues of concern include habitat changes associated with flood control projects, siltation from development sites, deterioration of water quality, and recent water drawdown for mining and irrigation. [15] [16] Activities such as construction and operation of hydroelectric facilities, flood control, additional irrigation diversions, bank stabilization, oil and gas drilling, mining, grazing, stocking or introduction of nonnative fishes may jeopardize the continued existence of the blacktail shiner.[ citation needed ] Another potential impact on the population could be hybridization. [10] [11]
The emerald shiner is one of hundreds of small, silvery, slender fish species known as shiners. The identifying characteristic of the emerald shiner is the silvery emerald color on its sides. It can grow to 3.5 inches in length and is found across North America from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, commonly in large, deep lakes and rivers, though sometimes in smaller bodies of water as well. It feeds on small organisms such as zooplankton and insects, congregating in large groups near the surface of the water. It is a quite common fish and is often used as a bait fish.
The blue shiner is a species of fish in the carp family. It is native to the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to the Cahaba and Coosa River systems of the Mobile River Basin. This is a federally listed threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States.
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 Bayou darter is a rare species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to western Mississippi in the United States, where it is found only in Bayou Pierre and its tributaries. Its typical habitat is fast-flowing creeks and streams, in riffles and in areas between riffles with firm gravel bottoms. It feeds on small insects and their larvae. Breeding probably takes place twice a year, in spring and late summer. The population of this fish is declining due to loss of suitable habitat. This is caused by siltation and pollution, particularly erosion caused by changes in land use. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "endangered".
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 Texas shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis. It is found in the Colorado River to Rio Grande drainage from Texas and northeastern Mexico and the Rio Salado and Rio San Juan systems in Mexico to the lower Pecos River in Texas.
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 taillight shiner is a species of freshwater fish in the cyprinid family. It is commonly found in the south-eastern USA.
The carmine shiner is a freshwater fish species. In Manitoba, it was once known as the rosyface shiner. It is now recognized as a different species within the rosyface shiner species complex, largely based on zoogeographic information. The carmine shiner is a member of the Minnow family, Cyprinidae. It has the following characteristics and distinguishing features:
The ghost shiner is a North American species of freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. It is generally characterized as being a small bodied, silvery and fusiform shaped cyprinid. Notropis buchanani is morphologically similar to and often mistaken for the Mimic Shiner, which is evident by its former classification as a subspecies of Notropis volucellus.
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 blacktail redhorse is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Moxostoma. The blacktail redhorse occupies North America, being located throughout Mississippi River tributaries on the former Mississippi Embayment, ranging from Southern Kentucky to Galveston Bay in Texas.
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 Starhead topminnow is a native United States species that ranges from the Ouachita River drainage in Louisiana, the Big Black river in Mississippi, and extends northward into the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan basins to the southern Michigan and southern Wisconsin areas. The Starhead topminnow is endangered due to the removal of aquatic vegetation and the continued development of land that infringes on its habitat.
The holiday darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is found in the southeast US water system, with disjunctive populations throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is also located in the Coosa River watershed which begins in Tennessee and Georgia, then enters Alabama. Its diet, close to other members of the subgenus Ulocentra, consists of small insects, including midges, black fly larvae, and small crustaceans. The two subspecies inhabit small to medium-sized gradient-rich streams. They are often found in fast-moving streams with large boulders, gravel, cobbles, and sand. They can be found in the margins between these large boulders, and use the boulders for protection from predators and for the females to attach eggs. The holiday darter has very vibrant coloration, but will display even more brilliant coloration during or before spawning. Spawning takes place during the spring, usually around April or May. This species is state listed in Georgia as threatened. One of the disjunct populations is located in the Talladega National Forest, which results in it being protected from human encroachment. The separate populations can make it difficult to determine the exact population count.
Spotfin chub is a ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae that is endemic to the Tennessee River watershed. Its other common names include turquoise shiner and chromium shiner.
The fieryblack shiner is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in the Santee and Pee Dee river drainages in North and South Carolina.
The Altamaha shiner is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the Piedmont region of Georgia, where it occurs in the upper areas of the Altamaha River drainage area, primarily above the Fall Line in north-central Georgia.
