| Redtail chub | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Leuciscinae |
| Genus: | Nocomis |
| Species: | N. effusus |
| Binomial name | |
| Nocomis effusus Lachner & R. E. Jenkins, 1967 | |
The redtail chub (Nocomis effusus) is a freshwater fish found in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
The redtail chub is found in north central Tennessee as well as south central Kentucky. Specifically, it is found in the central and western portions of the Ohio River basin, including in the upper Green, upper Barren, Cumberland, Duck, and lower Tennessee rivers. [2] The impoundment of Lake Cumberland likely extirpated the species from the impounded area, as Nocomis has specific habitat requirements, including flowing water and medium gravel needed for successful reproduction. [3] The redtail chub has not been found in the same waters as the river chub. This might be because of some interspecific interactions. However, the redtail chub prefers smaller streams than the river chub, so interspecific competition does not offer the entire explanation. It has been suggested that the two species could have shared habitat in what is now Cumberland Lake. Virtual restriction of redtail chub to Highland Rim habitats which are only marginally occupied by the river chub suggests a powerful physiographic component to these distributions. Apparently the redtail chub is strongly tied to the Mississippian gravel habitats of the Highland Rim. [3]
Adult redtail chubs feed primarily on aquatic invertebrates, including small mollusks, insects, earthworms, and crustaceans. [3] A potential predator of the redtail chub is the channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, which has been found preying on related species in Pennsylvania. The river chub could be considered a potential competitor, although it is not currently known to share habitat with the redtail chub. The redtail chub prefers clear rocky runs and pools of creeks and small rivers. It is also found in clear upland streams with predominantly gravel substrates. [2] The right size gravel is extremely important because the redtail chub, like all Nocomis species, uses its mouth in order to collect the gravel to create nests in which to spawn. [4] It prefers small to moderate sized streams, with low to moderate gradients and commonly with a riffle-pool type habitat. [5] The redtail chub prefers coolwater streams with a moderate pH. Stream gradient, turbidity, and coal mine pollution probably restrict its present distribution and abundance. [6] Gravel addition as a habitat restoration measure has been successful in reinstating the species' range. [4] Some interspecific competition might exist between the redtail chub and the river chub (Nocomis micropogon), resulting in an altered distributional pattern. This is because the two species are thought to be allopatric. [3] The redtail chub breeds in late spring and females reach sexual maturity around the 2-year mark.
The redtail chub spawns in late spring, and only once per year. Sexual maturity is reached in the second year, when males begin to grow much more rapidly than females, and reach greater sizes. Average clutch size is anywhere from 500-1000 ova. [3] The redtail chub, like all Nocomis species, creates troughs in which to breed. To do this, it will pick up small to medium-sized gravel with its mouth, and construct a nest about 6" tall. The male will guard the trough after eggs and sperm are released. Females often spawn in the nests of several males. The males will defend the nest and eggs until hatching takes place. Males will defend the nest from other members of the same species, however they often share their nests with members of other species including Clinostomus funduloides , Notropis rubellus , N. leuciodus , Lythrurus ardens , and species of Chrosomus . [3] If the proper gravel shoals are not available, or if they are covered in silt, breeding can be hindered or even stopped entirely. There is no parental care after the eggs' hatching. [7]
While the redtail chub is not federally listed as endangered or threatened, it has not been evaluated for such findings. [2] There are not currently management practices in place for this species. The abundance of the redtail chub is thought to be in decline as the fish if used as bait by anglers and costs around $12 a dozen retail, making harvesting a lucrative trade.[ citation needed ]
Many other species rely on redtail chub nests for their own breeding. [8] Decline of the redtail chub could lead to the decline of other species. [9]
A closely related species, the hornyhead chub (N. biguttatus), has successfully bred in captivity. [10]
The Tennessee shiner is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. It is native to the southeastern United States.
The Tennessee dace is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in the United States; particularly in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, and parts of extreme northwest Georgia. Until recently, they were considered a subspecies of mountain redbelly dace. They are commonly found in East Tennessee in spring fed first-order streams, often in silt and fine gravel pools, or undercut banks. These streams usually do not exceed two meters in width.
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 hornyhead chub is a small species of minnow in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It mainly inhabits small rivers and streams of the northern central USA, up into Canada. The adults inhabit faster, rocky pools of rivers.
The headwater chub is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found in Arizona and New Mexico.
The cheat minnow is a demersal, freshwater fish endemic to the United States, most commonly found in the Ohio River basin.
The central stoneroller, or Ohio stoneroller, is a fish in the family Cyprinidae endemic to North America.
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 redfin shiner is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. The redfin shiner is most commonly found in the Ohio and Mississippi River basins, as well as in drainages of the Great Lakes. The diet of the redfin shiner consists mostly of algae and small insects. This species prefers calm water in low-gradient streams over substrates of gravel or sand with some vegetation.
The river chub is a minnow in the family Cyprinidae. It is one of the most common fishes in North American streams.
The orangefin 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 Barren River and Green River systems in Tennessee and Kentucky.
The stone 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.
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".
Etheostoma zonale, the banded 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. It is mainly found in the Mississippi Basin, ranging from the Verdigris River in Kansas eastward to the Allegheny River in New York, and from the Minnesota River in Minnesota southward to the Ouachita River in Arkansas and the Tennessee River in Alabama. Its typical habitat in small and medium-sized rivers is riffles over cobble or gravel, rock slabs, and small boulders. It feeds on the riverbed on small insect larvae and is itself eaten by birds and larger fish. Males become more colorful and become territorial before spawning which takes place in spring. The females attach the eggs to waterweed. The population trend of this fish seems to be stable, it is a common species with numerous sub-populations over a wide range, no major threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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.
Nocomis is a genus of cyprinid fish native to North America. There are currently seven described species in this genus.
The flame chub is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae found only in the United States. Its range broadly follows the Tennessee River from above Knoxville, Tennessee, to the mouth of the Duck River. Historically the species was found in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. The preferred habitat of flame chub is in small flowing streams often associated with springs.
The bigmouth chub is a species of fish native to West Virginia.
The Dixie chub is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the carp and minnow family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to southeastern United States.
