| Scarlet shiner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male in breeding coloration | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Genus: | Lythrurus |
| Species: | L. fasciolaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Lythrurus fasciolaris (Gilbert, 1891) | |
| Synonyms | |
see text under Taxonomy | |
The scarlet shiner (Lythrurus fasciolaris) is a freshwater fish native to the eastern United States. [2]
Scarlet shiners get their name from the bright coloration of breeding males, who display a vibrant red on their dorsal, caudal, pelvic, anal, and pectoral fins. The dorsal fin often has a dark blotch at the front of its base. Females and non-breeding males tend to display less distinct coloration on their bodies besides faint red on their fins. An adult's average length is 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm), with a maximum of 4 inches (10 cm). [3]
Scarlet shiners can be distinguished from the redfin shiner (L. umbratilis) by the four to eleven saddle bands or tiger stripes over the back and upper sides, which can be seen more clearly on males, and have more slender bodies that are laterally compressed. They also have fewer anal fin rays, averaging nine to eleven. Non-breeding males and females still have the silver-blue coloration and the typical cryptic coloration of dark on top and lighter white or cream colored belly. [3] Breeding males of both species develop tubercles on their heads; however, L. fasciolaris generally does not have tubercles on its cheeks, and the lower jaw bears one row of tubercles versus two in L. umbratilis. [4] : 164
Scarlet shiners live in subtropical, benthopelagic freshwater environments. [5] Scarlet shiners thrive in waterways that have clear water, and they tend to occupy the higher gradient streams with coarser substrates. Typically, the scarlet shiner's habitat is situated around the Ohio River basin, but they range down as far as Eagle Creek in Kentucky. [6] The species can be found specifically in the southwestern part of Ohio down to the Scioto River and westward, [3] reaching the Little River basin in Tennessee then connecting to the Tennessee River to flow down into the northernmost parts of Alabama and some areas within West Virginia and Virginia. [7] Scarlet shiners have also been thought to be introduced in certain waterways in Ohio, such as the Ohio River basin to the Muskingum River drainage. Other areas where one may encounter scarlet shiners are in the Cumberland drainages in Kentucky and Tennessee along with the ones in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. [1]
Adult scarlet shiners typically feed on aquatic invertebrates. [3] There are a variety of species that the scarlet shiner is a natural host for, such as for the glochidia of the Pyramid Pigtoe mollusk in Kentucky. [8]
Scarlet shiners inhabit small to medium-sized sluggish to clear-water streams where the substrate is coarser, such as rocks, pebbles, or gravel, with medium current flow. [9] Though this species can tolerate a little murky water, they cannot survive in water that is heavy in silt or sediment, which deprives them and their eggs of oxygen. [1] They are intolerant to high turbidity, siltation, and low-dissolved oxygen levels. [10] In midwinter, scarlet shiners inhabit deeper, quieter pools of water. [1]
Predators of the scarlet shiner are bigger fish, like trout, that inhabit the same streams they do. Often, scarlet shiners are absent from waters hosting trout, especially those at high elevations. [1]
Competitors of the scarlet shiner are other fish that inhabit the same stream waters it does. A few examples are the striped shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus), bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus), and the telescope shiner (Notropis telescopes). [11] The main competitor of the scarlet shiner is the closely related species, the redfin shiner (Lythrurus umbratilis). They tend to inhabit the same types of waterways, though the redfin shiner habits clearer and lower located streams.
Abundance of scarlet shiners populations reduce when silt deposits from human development of land near their streams are above their tolerance levels. Introduction of invasive species, like rainbow trout, to various streams by humans have caused for decline or fragmentation of scarlet shiner populations across their geographical distribution. However, the scarlet shiner has also been introduced in areas where it is not native, more often in Ohio areas. [1]
Scarlet shiners are seasonal spawners that spawn once throughout the late spring and summer months over clean sand or fine gravel substrates [3] in faster currents of riffles and pools. [1] On occasions, scarlet shiners have been known to use the nest of larger minnows for their own offspring. [3] Their nests are similar to those of other Lythurus species. [4]
Like many species, the scarlet shiner exhibits sexual dimorphism during the breeding months, [9] in which breeding males often have a bright blue, shiny coloration with their bright red fins while females have red fins that are much less visible than the males. [3]
The average life span of scarlet shiners is three years. After their first year, they are reproductively mature or capable. However, reproductive success depends on the environmental conditions since scarlet shiners undergo physiological changes and reproductive traits and behaviors in response to these conditions. [9]
Populations of scarlet shiners remain relatively stable or somewhat declining after spawning periods. A decline in number can be traced back to being introduced into larger bodies of water, where schools are often smaller, or an increase in predators or invasive species that compete with the species for resources. [1] Siltation of stream waters also decreases the number of scarlet shiners since heavy silt can suffocate their eggs, reducing their reproductive success. [9] Another reason that could decline their numbers is a change in the environment. If the environment is not the right temperature for the scarlet shiners during their spawning season, then they will not spawn until the water reaches their favorable temperature. [1]
Currently, scarlet shiners are a least concern species. States with scarlet shiner populations have begun actively researching the species to collect more data on it, such as Kentucky and Ohio, where they are native and introduced respectively. [1]
Scarlet shiners were never an endangered or threatened species since their numbers have been relatively stable or increasing in areas where they are native or introduced, where they have become problematic in some areas. Problematic areas include Lake Barkley in Kentucky, a human created lake, where scarlet shiner and other fish populations become abundant due to the recent construction of the lake which increases biodiversity at certain times during the seasons. However, at other times, the lake causes species biodiversity to degrade due to hydrologic regimes, channel morphology, high siltation, nutrient loading, low-dissolved oxygen, and high turbidity, which many species cannot tolerate. [10]
Though the species is listed as least concern, [1] scarlet shiners do have the tendency to hybridize with its close relative, the redfin shiner, in areas where their populations mix, like the Little River basin in Kentucky. [10] The hybridization is a result of the introduction of scarlet shiners into streams where they were previously never found, allowing for them to interact with the redfin shiner and cross-breed with them. [4] [6] There has not been significant research done to determine if this hybridization will cause for either species' abundance to decline since both can be found in isolated areas where their numbers are stable or abundant. [1]
Lythrurus fasciolaris was originally named by Gilbert in 1891 as a subspecies of Notropis umbratilis but in 1996 it was named as a valid species. The type species for the genus Lythrurus is Semotilus diplemia [12] but when you follow the synonymy of this name then it is currently recognised as a synonym of Chrosomus erythrogaster . [13] When Jordan coined Lythrurus it is now thought he may have been referring to the species named by Rafinesque as Rutilus ruber [14] as he notes that the species he describes as Lythrurus diploemus is Rafinesque's Ruitlis ruber and not Kirtland's Leuciscus diplemius. [15] The Catalog of Fishes gives Rutilus ruber as being a synonym of L. fasciolaris, albeit with some uncertainty. [14]
The rosyface shiner is a small fresh water fish of the minnow and carp family (Cyprinidae). It is native to eastern North America.
The telescope shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis. Notropis telescopus is primarily found in a small range of waters located in the Southeastern Region of the United States. There is very little published record of the research and management involving the telescope shiner. The following research will provide information on this species that can be helpful toward monitoring efforts of Notropis telescopus populations. The primary population of telescope shiners occurs throughout drainages of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. This population is distributed throughout Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. A second known population occurs in Arkansas and Missouri and is found in the White and Black river systems.
The Tennessee shiner is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. It is native to the southeastern United States.
Lythrurus, the finescale shiners, is a genus of cyprinid fish found in North America. There are currently 11 species in this genus.
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 popeye shiner is a North American species of freshwater cyprinid fish.
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 redlip shiner is a North American species of freshwater cyprinid fish. This shiner can be found in a few streams located in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. It inhabits rocky pools of clear headwaters, creeks and small rivers. Adults range in length from 40 to 55 mm.
The rainbow shiner is a North American species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.
The spottail shiner or spottail minnow is a small- to medium-sized freshwater minnow. It can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. These shiners live in lakes, rivers, and creeks. They occupy the rocky or sandy shorelines and bottoms of the water. One of the defining features of a spottail shiner is the black spot found at the base of the caudal fin. These shiners generally spawn from late June through July.
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 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 blacktail shiner is a small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to the United States.
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 redtail chub is a freshwater fish found in the U.S. states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
The river chub is a minnow in the family Cyprinidae. It is one of the most common fishes in North American streams.
The bigmouth shiner, is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee. It is a common minnow species found in the midwest region, but found as far as the east coast. There has been little information researched about this minnow outside of the general body plan and habitat. They are often found along with common shiner in streams.
The ribbon shiner is a species of freshwater fish of the cyprinid genus Lythrurus and is native to the United States.
