Sand shiner

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Sand shiner
Notropis stramineus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Leuciscinae
Clade: Pogonichthyinae
Genus: Notropis
Species:
N. stramineus
Binomial name
Notropis stramineus
(Cope, 1865)
Synonyms
  • Hybognathus stramineusCope, 1865
  • Cyprinella ludibunda Girard, 1856
  • Notropis ludibundus(Girard, 1856)
  • Alburnus lineolatus Putnam, 1863
Fish in the Missouri National Recreational River area inc. sand shiners MNR Fish 10665.jpg
Fish in the Missouri National Recreational River area inc. sand shiners

The sand shiner (Notropis stramineus) is a widespread North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. [2] 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. [3]

Contents

Distribution

The sand shiner is extremely widespread, known from central part of the United States and southern Canada. The range stretches from Saint Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and Mississippi River basins which are part of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec to Saskatchewan in Canada. The range also stretches south to Tennessee and Texas; west to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico; Trinity River to Rio Grande in Texas and New Mexico, and Mexico. [4]

Name

The genus name Notropis means keeled back and specific epithet stramineus means of straw, making reference to the fish's overall pale amber body color. [5] Notropis ludibundus is a senior synonym of N. stramineus, however, the specific name N. stramineus is conserved and N. ludibundus is suppressed. [6]

Physical characteristics

Sand shiners have a compressed, slender body covered in leptoid scales, more specifically cycloid scales which are generally round and lack a tooth-like cteni. They have a subterminal mouth position (the end of the snout projects only slightly past the mouth) and a homocercal tail (the vertebral column does not enter the caudal fin). [7] Sand Shiners usually have seven anal soft rays, fewer than 10 dorsal fin soft rays, and fewer than 45 lateral line scales. [4] They have no spinous rays meaning none of their rays are hard. Their pharyngeal teeth count is 0,4-4,0. [4] The average total length of a Sand Shiner is about 44 mm with a maximum length of approximately 82 mm. [5] [8] They have a silvery head and sides with a dark middorsal strip extending to the dorsal fin. [9] At the base of the dorsal fin are two distinct black dashes separated by a clear space when viewed from above. [9] Their back scales are an olivaceous color and are outlined with melanophores. [9] Each pore within the lateral line system, is also accented with paired melanophores which creates the appearance of a thin midlateral strip. [4] [9] The abdomen is a whitish color with indistinct spots at the base of the caudal fin. During spawning, colors intensify in males. [9]

Habitat

The sand shiner requires clear water with a sandy, gravel-rubble bottom in order to survive. [10] [11] It is irregularly distributed amongst streams of diverse sizes and inhabits a wide variety of habitats within the medium to large streams and rivers but is rarely found in upland areas. [12] Sand Shiners tend to seek areas deeper than 20 cm which have little to no aquatic vegetation and a slow-moving current. [9] Habitats with acidic or alkaline conditions are avoided, however, in the Southwest, pH values of around 8.0 are common in streams which Sand Shiners occupy. [9] Habitat locations change slightly throughout the seasons. During spawning season in August, sand shiners form large schools in shallow water which has a slight current and a sandy bottom. In the fall, concentrations of sand shiners are found in deep pools. In late summer and fall, the sand shiners tend to move into shallow water over a rubble bottom during dusk. [13] [14]

Diet and feeding behavior

Sand shiners are omnivorous fish, feeding on aquatic and terrestrial insects, bottom ooze and diatoms and are often observed in large schools which frequently feeding in shallow waters. [3] Overall, this species is an opportunistic feeder primarily taking bottom particulate matter, as well as plant material and terrestrial and aquatic insects. [9] More explicitly, their summer diet consists of bottom ooze (68% of volume), aquatic nymphs and larvae, Ephemeroptera nymphs, Tricoptera larvae, adult terrestrial insects, adult and emerging Ephemeroptera, dipterans, corixids, and a small amount of plant matter. [13] [15] During late summer, sand shiners show more surface-oriented feeding behaviors, feeding on adult aquatic and terrestrial insects. [16] These feeding habits are similar to the closely related Cape Fear shiner and swallowtail shiner.

Conservation status

Populations of sand shiners in the southern United States are currently stable. They are not listed as endangered by the federal government or any state governments. [17] The state of New Mexico provides limited protection as precipitous decline in Pecos River may becoming a potential threat. This decline is partially as a consequence of water management practices. [11] [18]

Reproduction

The total reproductive period of sand shiners extends from May or June through August with slight variation in time of spawning depending upon latitude. [9] [12] The peak of activity occurs in July and August when water temperature is high (27- 37°C ) and there is minimal rain and runoff allowing for lower water levels. [19] [11] Summerfelt and Minckley hypothesis spawning during the hot-dry portion of the summer is adaptive for survival as it may enhance the survival of the young. [19] The sand shiner is a broadcast spawner that lays demersal, adhesive eggs, suggesting that the sand shiners spawning is not correlated with flow spikes. [11] Eggs are laid in shallow water over sandy substrate in which the eggs rapidly settle to and attach to loose gravel, failing to become buoyant. [9] [11] Following hatching, most growth is achieved during the first year of life. A length of 10.5 mm has been reported for the size of the sand shiner at time of scale formation. [19] Once fish reach age I or II, spawning can occur with the former being more numerous. [19] Fecundity varies from 150 to 1,000 eggs per female per year. [5] There is an increase in fecundity with standard length (or age) of the fish. [10] Egg diameter ranges from 0.75 to 0.95 mm. [20] On average, the sand shiner has a longevity of three summers. [19] [10]

Related Research Articles

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosyface shiner</span> Species of fish

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<i>Notropis</i> Genus of fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Fear shiner</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridle shiner</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swallowtail shiner</span> Species of fish

The swallowtail shiner is a North American species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It has a slender and long body of about 40–55 millimetres (1.6–2.2 in). The shiner has a pale yellow back with a blue stripe on its silver side. It also has a silvery white belly. Its fins are yellowish and it has a dorsal fin originating above the back half of the pelvic fin base and a tail fin with a black spot at its base. When viewed from above, two pigmented stripes are visible near the dorsal fin: one predorsally and the postdorsally. Its snout is either slightly pointed or slightly rounded. The swallowtail shiner lives in warm creeks and in river pools.

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 (20 cm).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas shiner</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow shiner</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taillight shiner</span> Species of fish

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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.

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References

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  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Notropis stramineus" in FishBase . April 2013 version.
  3. 1 2 Koster, W. J. 1957. Guide to the Fishes of New Mexico. Univ. New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. "Sand shiner Notropis stramineus". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hubbs, C., R. J. Edwards, and G. P. Garrett. 1991. An annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of Texas, with keys to identification of species. Texas Journal of Science, Supplement 43(4):1–56
  5. 1 2 3 Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 681 pp. "Sand shiner Notropis stramineus". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  6. Mayden, R. L. and C. R. Gilbert. 1989. Notropis ludibundus (Girard) and Notropis tristis (Girard), replacement names for N. stramineus (Cope) and N. topeka (Gilbert) (Teleostei: Cypriniformes). Copeia 1989(4):1084–1089.
  7. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of North America, north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 432 pp. "Sand shiner Notropis stramineus". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  8. Hugg, D.O. 1996 MAPFISH georeferenced mapping database. Freshwater and estuarine fishes of North America. Life Science Software. Dennis O. and Steven Hugg, 1278 Turkey Point Road, Edgewater, Maryland, USA.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sublette, J. E., M. D. Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The Fishes of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 393 pp "Sand shiner Notropis stramineus". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  10. 1 2 3 Tanyolac, J. 1973. Morphometric variation and life history of the cyprinid fish Notropis stramineus (Cope). Occ. Pap. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kans. 12:1–28. "Sand shiner Notropis stramineus". Archived from the original on 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Platania, S. P. and C. S. Altenbach. 1998. Reproductive strategies and egg types of seven Rio Grande Basin cyprinids. Copeia 1998(3):559–569.
  12. 1 2 Lee, D. S., Gilbert C. R., Hocutt C. H., Jenkins R. E., Callister D. E., and Stauffer J. R. 1981. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes: North Carolina, North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, 1981, c1980
  13. 1 2 Starett, W. C. 1950a. Distribution of the fishes of Boone County, Iowa, with special reference to the minnows and darters. American Midland Naturalist 43(1):112–127.
  14. Mendelson, J. 1975. Feeding relationships among species of Notropis (Pisces: Cyprinidae) in a Wisconsin stream. Ecol. Monogr. 45:199–230.
  15. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, 1052 pp.
  16. Gillen, Alan L. and Thomas Hart. 1989. Feeding Interrelationships Between the Sand Shiner and the Striped Shiner. Ohio J. Science, Ohio 71-76.
  17. Warren, L. W., Jr., B. M. Burr, S. J. Walsh, H. L. Bart, Jr., R. C. Cashner, D. A. Etnier, B. J. Freeman, B. R. Kuhajda, R. L. Mayden, H. W. Robison, S. T. Ross, and W. C. Starnes. 2000. Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States. Fisheries 25(10):7–29.
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  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Summerfelt, R. C., and C. O. Minckley. 1969. Aspects of the life history of the sand shiner, Notropis stramineus (Cope), in the Smokey Hill River, Kansas. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 3:444–453.
  20. Coburn, M. M. 1986. Egg diameter variation in Eastern North American minnows (Pisces: Cyprinidae): correlation with vertebral number, habitat, and spawning behavior. Ohio Journal of Science 86(3):110–120