| Creek chubsucker | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Catostomidae |
| Genus: | Erimyzon |
| Species: | E. oblongus |
| Binomial name | |
| Erimyzon oblongus (Mitchill, 1814) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
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The creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus) is a freshwater fish of the sucker family (Catostomidae).
The creek chubsucker is one of three species in the genus Erimyzon from the family Catostomidae present in eastern North America, and is found primarily in one of two disjunct populations; either in the eastern Coastal Plain streams or in the mid-western streams east of the Central Plains. [3] The creek chubsucker is typically found in vegetated rocky riffle areas, runs, and pools of clear freshwater.
The creek chubsucker is small in size, typically measuring less than 10 inches (25 cm) and weighing slightly under a pound. There is generally no sexual dimorphism exhibited between males and females and lifespan is typically from five to seven years. However, dimorphism does exist between juveniles and adults, with juveniles displaying a uniform, dark lateral stripe down the sides. [3]
Both sexes exhibit longitudinal scale rows, 4–18 dorsal fin rays, an air bladder with two chambers, dorsal fin base less than one-fourth standard length, and lateral line absent. [4] During breeding, the males grow horn-like tubercles, become more brightly colored, and are territorial of gravel substrates in shallow water areas. [5] The fish are bottom feeders and often turn over rocks when foraging on microcrustacea, aquatic insects, and some algae. [3]
It is believed that the creek chubsucker and other members of the family Catostomidae diverged from minnows (Cyprinidae) at least fifty million years ago. [6] The creek chubsucker is not considered a game fish, and is not commercially important to humans. Creek chubsucker young and eggs are considered important forage for piscivorous game fishes [7] and are therefore important to the sustainability of these game fishes for recreational and sporting enthusiasts. As of 2004 [update] , the conservation status of creek chubsucker was of least concern, but the species is still adversely affected by anthropogenic factors such as dams, pollution, and over siltation. [8] [ failed verification ]
Creek chubsuckers are one of about sixty-two species of in the family Catostomidae. All but two species are endemic to North America, [5] and creek chubsuckers can be found in many of the freshwater tributaries of the Atlantic slope streams from Maine to Altamaha drainage of Georgia; Gulf slope streams east to Escambia River drainage, Alabama (single population), west to San Jacinto system Texas, Mississippi Valley in Louisiana, Arkansas, southeast Oklahoma, upland Missouri, Mississippi, west Tennessee, West Kentucky, and south of the Great Lakes drainage in southern tributaries to lakes Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. [9]
There is a disjunction between the eastern and western populations with no records of the species being present in the waterways from Florida northward along the Appalachian Mountain corridor. The creek chubsucker adults occur commonly in pools in sluggish streams, spring pools, and backwater areas, while juveniles can be found in head water rivulets. [3] During the breeding season, congregations of breeding males and females migrate upstream and, can be found on clean rubble or gravel beds and less commonly on sandy or vegetated shallow water beds. [5] Some populations are in decline where siltation pollution is evident. [9]
Three subspecies have been described:
The creek chubsucker is a bottom feeding forager in freshwater streams. The adults are generally solitary, and can be found near the substrate of slowly flowing streams where they forage for food. [14] Most of the prey items making up the creek chubsucker's diet include microcrustacea (Copepod, Cladocera, etc.), organic detritus, algae, diatoms, small clams, Chironomidae larvae and Diptera larvae. [9]
A majority of juvenile life is spent in mixed schools with other Cyprinidae in midwater areas. [15] Creek chubsucker juveniles are thought to be an important forage species for game fish like Esox and Centrarchidae, but their rapid growth rate usually ensures escape from predatory fish and assures an annual recruitment of young. [7]
The creek chubsucker shares habitat with and requires similar spawning sites as white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) and northern hogsuckers (Hypentelium nigracans). [16] This inadvertently leads to competition of space and resources.
The spawning season for the creek chubsucker runs from March to May, with the eastern subspecies spawning at a water temperature of 11 °C (52 °F), with most activity at night. The western subspecies spawns at water temperatures of 12–24 °C (54–75 °F), spawning in the afternoon. [16] Habitat suitable for spawning is usually in small creeks with small cleared depressions on clear, gravel bottoms of pools just above riffles. [16]
Prior to spawning, males and females migrate upstream where possible. Males defend territories in moderately swift water over beds of gravel or near pits constructed by various minnow species. Males do not initiate the digging of nest pits, but will modify existing pits by pushing stones around with their snouts. Females congregate upstream of males in quiet water, periodically drifting tail first into male territories. Once in a male's territory, the female digs in the gravel with her snout, apparently signaling to the male that she is ready to spawn. In contrast to most species of suckers, creek chubsuckers frequently engage in trio spawning involving two males on either side of one female.
Actual spawning lasts three to five seconds as the males press against the female. Both release gametes while quivering and stirring the substratum with their caudal and anal fins. [5] The fertilized eggs are demersal and semi adhesive. Color varies from light to deep golden yellow, and yolk occupies most of egg with no oil drops in the yolk mass. Egg production has been extremely variable with anywhere between 8,500 and over 80,000 eggs being produced by a single female.
Regardless of high fecundity this species is not found in high numbers. [7] Females may live for 6 or 7 years, though males only live for 5 years. [7]
Currently, the creek chubsucker is of least concern according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [17] The presence of creek chubsuckers usually indicates the presence of other, more desirable game species. There is currently no management plan to control or monitor the fish. Because of its wide range, the creek chubsucker is native to many areas that fall inside the boundaries of protected national and state parks, and this will hopefully ensure its existence for future generations.
Several anthropogenic factors have been noted as leading to the decline of the creek chubsucker like areas where siltation pollution occurs. Siltation pollution is produced from a variety of sources including but not limited to construction, logging, and agricultural practices. Dams may also be of concern for the species however most areas inhabited by creek chubsuckers are small order streams and may not be suitable for dam construction.
The creek chubsucker is an important species in lotic water systems. It is a fish that turns over energy by consuming vegetation detritus. [17] The creek chubsucker also regulates population levels of macro-invertebrates and algae, and it serves as an important prey fish for many desirable game fish species. [7] It is important to survey and monitor the population of this species in order to get an estimation of the health of the immediate ecosystem. [17] More measures like water and sediment sampling as well as mark and recapture techniques should be put into place to compile data on creek chubsucker population levels and health. Periodic, random electroshocking and seining would be ideal for conducting mark and recapture surveys in low order streams.
The eggs of the creek chubsuckers are a valuable source of energy for many creatures of the lotic stream system. Special emphasis should be placed on promoting high levels of breeding individuals to ensure breeding adult recruitment, therefore continuing a viable food source for other organisms. Buffer zones should be implemented around all streams in the vicinity of disturbances that could cause sediment pollution. Excessive siltation fills the gravel beds used for egg laying during spawning and deprives eggs of oxygen. Dams may also pose a problem by not allowing the fish to access areas used for breeding, but little information exists on their effects on the creek chubsucker.
The longnose sucker is a species of cypriniform freshwater fish in the family Catostomidae. It is native to North America from the northern United States to the top of the continent. It is also found in Russia in rivers of eastern Siberia, and this one of only two species of sucker native to Asia.
The black redhorse is a species of freshwater fish endemic to Ontario and the eastern half of the United States, where it lives in streams and small to medium rivers.
The longnose dace is a freshwater minnow native to North America. Rhinicthys means snout fish and cataractae means of the cataract. Longnose dace are small, typically less than 100 mm and characterized by their fleshy snout that protrudes past the mouth. They are well adapted for living on the bottom of fast-flowing streams among stones. Longnose dace eat algae and aquatic insects and are important forage minnows for larger predatory fish.
The northern hogsucker is a freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Catostomidae, the suckers. It is native to the United States and Canada where it is found in streams and rivers. It prefers clear, fast-flowing water, where it can forage on the riverbed for crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic insects, algae and detritus. It turns over small pebbles and scrapes materials off rocks and sucks up the particles, and other species of fish sometimes station themselves downstream from its activities so as to garner disturbed food fragments. Breeding takes place on gravel bottoms in shallow riffles in late spring. This fish is susceptible to such man-made disturbances as channelization, sedimentation, pollution, and dam construction. However, it has a wide range and is a common species so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Yaqui sucker is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Catostomidae. It is found the Aridoamerica region of northern Mexico and south-western United States. Catostomus bernardini or Yaqui sucker belongs to the family Catostomidae. The Yaqui sucker is related to the Sonora sucker and could possibly be a subspecies of the Gila sucker.
Semotilus atromaculatus, known as the creek chub or the common creek chub, is a small minnow, a freshwater fish found in the eastern US and Canada. Differing in size and color depending on origin of development, the creek chub can usually be defined by a dark brown body with a black lateral line spanning horizontally across the body. It lives primarily within streams and rivers. Creek chubs attain lengths of 2–6 inches (5.1–15.2 cm) with larger specimens of up to 12 inches (30 cm) long.
The Catostomidae are the suckers of the order Cypriniformes, with about 78 species in this family of freshwater fishes. The Catostomidae are almost exclusively native to North America. The only exceptions are Catostomus catostomus, found in both North America and Russia, and Myxocyprinus asiaticus found only in China. In the Ozarks they are a common food fish and a festival is held each year to celebrate them. The bigmouth buffalo, Ictiobus cyprinellus, can reach an age up to 127 years, making it the oldest known freshwater teleost by more than 50 years.
The bluehead sucker is endemic to the intermountain Western US. A total of 23 members of the genus Catostomus has been found in North America. C. discobolus and C. yarrowi are two sister species that have very similar Arizona habitats.
The spotted sucker is a species of sucker (fish) that is native to eastern North America. The spotted sucker inhabits deep pools of small to medium rivers over clay, sand or gravel. They are occasionally found in creeks and large rivers. Through its life stages, the spotted sucker goes from a mid-depth predator to a bottom forager. Spotted suckers have a lifespan of approximately six years and spawn in April and May. Limited knowledge of the occurrence, abundance, and natural history of this species has been an impediment to status assessment and the determination of need for conservation measures within this family.
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 (3.1 in). 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 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 Alabama hog sucker is a species of fish in the family Catostomidae, the suckers. It is native to several river systems in the southeastern United States. Its range includes much of the state of Alabama and extends into parts of Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia.
The warpaint shiner is a species of freshwater fish found in North America. It is common in the upper Tennessee River basin as well as in the Savannah River, the Santee River, and the New River in North Carolina. Adults have a mean length of 9 centimetres (3.5 in) and can reach a maximum length of 14 centimetres (5.5 in). The maximum age reported for this species is 4 years.
The river carpsucker is a freshwater fish found in the inland United States and northern Mexico. This species has a slightly arched back and is somewhat stout and compressed. While the fins are usually opaque, in older fish they may be dark yellow. It is distributed along the Mississippi River basin from Pennsylvania to Montana. The river carpsucker, like most suckers, is a bottom feeder and obtains its nutrients from algae, microcrustaceans, and other various tiny planktonic plants and animals found in silty substrates. Like its congener, the quillback, the river carpsucker is long-lived, with a lifespan of more than 45 years. It begins to reproduce typically in late spring, and the female usually releases more than 100,000 eggs. After releasing and fertilizing their eggs, all parental care is ended.
The lake chubsucker is a species of freshwater fish endemic to North America, found in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin, as far north as Ontario, Canada, extending south to the Gulf of Mexico. It is mainly found in lakes, ponds, and swamps, rarely in streams.
Etheostoma rufilineatum, the redline 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 endemic to the southeastern United States.
The snubnose 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 endemic to the southeastern United States.
The orangethroat 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 endemic to the central and eastern United States where it is native to parts of the Mississippi River Basin and Lake Erie Basin. Its typical habitat includes shallow gravel riffles in cooler streams and rocky runs and pools in headwaters, creeks, and small rivers, with sand, gravel, rubble, or rock substrates. It forages on the bottom for the aquatic larvae of midges, blackfly, mayfly and caddisfly, as well as isopods and amphipods. Spawning takes place in spring, the selected sites often being the upper stretches of riffles with sandy and gravelly bottoms interspersed with larger cobble. Reproductive success is high in this species. No particular threats have been identified, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Tippecanoe 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 endemic to the eastern United States.
Erimyzon is a genus of suckers native to North America. There are currently four recognized species in this genus.
