Moapa dace | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cypriniformes |
Family: | Cyprinidae |
Subfamily: | Leuciscinae |
Clade: | Laviniinae |
Genus: | Moapa C. L. Hubbs and R. R. Miller, 1948 |
Species: | M. coriacea |
Binomial name | |
Moapa coriacea C. L. Hubbs and R. R. Miller, 1948 | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Gila coriacea |
The moapa dace (Moapa coriacea) is a rare cyprinid fish of southern Nevada, United States, found only in the upper parts of the Muddy (formerly Moapa) River, and in the warm springs that give rise to the river. [3] It is the only species of the monotypic genus Moapa. [4]
A small fish, with a maximum recorded length of 9 cm (3.5 in), [5] its scales are small and embedded in the skin, resulting in a noticeably leathery texture [3] (thus the species epithet, derived from Latin coriaceus "leathery"). General body shape is standard for cyprinids, with a vaguely conical head.
Moapa dace require warm water, and can survive in a temperature range of 67 to 93 °F (19 to 34 °C). They inhabit waters with abundant algae and shade over gravel, sand and mud, and have an omnivorous diet. [5] [1] Their reproduction cycle peaks in spring and is the lowest in fall, occurring in headwater tributaries. [6] Spawning occurs within 150 m (490 ft) of headwaters springs, in water temperatures of 30–32 °C (86–90 °F). [1] The Moapa Dace usually reproduce in areas where there are overhead instream cover and the water velocity is around 0.11 to 0.17 metres per second (0.36 to 0.56 ft/s). [7] The entire habitat of this species consists of less than 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) within Clark County, Nevada. [5]
Moapa dace were first federally listed as endangered in 1967, then reclassified as vulnerable in 1986 and 1988. In 1994, a fire at the Moapa National Wildlife Refuge triggered a population decline, and by 1996 the species had been classified as critically endangered. [5] Additional threats to this species include loss of habitat due to resort development, the introduction of non-native fish species, and capping or depletion of spring-fed headwaters. [5]
The Moapa National Wildlife Refuge was established solely to protect this species, and was the first National Wildlife Refuge created for the purpose of protecting an endangered fish species. [5] Since then, researchers have created artificial streams mimicking the optimal conditions described above in hopes of spurring an increase in population. When analyzing the effects of stress on the fish, stressed fish experienced a high mortality rate of around 70% overall while the unstressed group of fish experienced around a 1.15% mortality rate per month. [8]
The Muddy River, formerly known as the Moapa River, is a short river located in Clark County, in southern Nevada, United States. It is in the Mojave Desert, approximately 60 miles (97 km) north of Las Vegas.
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The Alvord chub is a rare cyprinid fish endemic to the Alvord basin in southeastern Oregon and northwestern Nevada, U.S., known only from a few springs, streams and marshes in the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, and one location elsewhere.
Moapa may mean:
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.
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The bonytail chub or bonytail is a cyprinid freshwater fish native to the Colorado River basin of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the southwestern United States; it has been extirpated from the part of the basin in Mexico. It was once abundant and widespread in the basin, its numbers and range have declined to the point where it has been listed as endangered since 1980 (ESA) and 1986 (IUCN), a fate shared by the other large Colorado basin endemic fish species like the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, and razorback sucker. It is now the rarest of the endemic big-river fishes of the Colorado River. There are 20 species in the genus Gila, seven of which are found in Arizona.
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Eastern blacknose dace is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Rhinichthys. Its name originates from the Old French word "dars" which is the nominative form of the word "dart" in reference to their swimming pattern. The western blacknose dace formerly was considered conspecific. While morphologically the two species are not significantly different, they are allopatric. The eastern blacknose dace is found across the southeast portion of Canada and down along the United States' east coast. It is dark brown to olive on its dorsal surface and silvery white below, the two shades separated by the darkly pigmented lateral line. In the breeding season, males develop darker pigmentation and an orange lateral line. Blacknose dace live in rocky streams and rivers where they feed upon small invertebrates and microscopic biological matter and provide forage for larger fish.
Western blacknose dace is a common species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae and the genus Rhinichthys. Western blacknose dace have tan to dark brown backs, lighter sides, and cream colored undersides. Dark blotches are sporadically scattered across their sides and backs. A distinctive dark colored mid-lateral stripe from the tip of the snout to the caudal peduncle is present. The snout is relatively long and they have a slightly sub-terminal mouth. The stripe is dark brown in females and is a rusty pink color in males during spawning season. The lateral stripe is more pronounced and the caudal spot is present in juveniles. Similar to other species of dace the western blacknose dace give the illusion of having no scales but in actuality the scales are so small they are hard to see. Western blacknose dace are typically 2-3 inches long but can grow to as long as 4 inches. They have a forked tail, single dorsal fin with 8 rays and no spines, a pelvic fin on the abdominal, no adipose fin, and an anal fin with 7 rays and no spines.
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The laurel dace is a species of freshwater minnow native to the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was first discovered in 1976. A very rare species, it has only been found in localized populations in six small streams on the Walden Ridge portion of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. It is found in six streams: the Soddy, Horn, Cupp, Young's, Moccasin, and Bumbee Creeks, all of which drain into larger rivers that eventually feed the Tennessee River. It is believed to be extirpated from Laurel Creek, the only other stream where it was known to occur.
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