Spotfin chub

Last updated

Spotfin chub
Status TNC G2.svg
Imperiled  (NatureServe) [2]
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: Cyprinella
Species:
C. monacha
Binomial name
Cyprinella monacha
(Cope, 1868)
Synonyms

Erimonax monachus(Cope, 1868)
Ceratichthys monachusCope, 1868
Hybopsis monacha(Cope, 1868)

Contents

Spotfin chub (Cyprinella monacha) is a ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae that is endemic to the Tennessee River watershed. Its other common names include turquoise shiner and chromium shiner. [3]

Appearance and anatomy

Spotfin chub have an average length of 55 to 90 millimetres (2.2 to 3.5 in).

Geographic distribution

The spotfin chub has a native range endemic to the Tennessee River drainage. This range includes five states: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Current surveys show that spotfin chub has been extirpated from Alabama and Georgia. [4] The only remaining populations are confined to four tributaries along the Tennessee River: the Little Tennessee, Emory, Buffalo, and Holston rivers. [4]

Many anthropogenic changes are the cause for such a large population decline. Major disturbances include dams, sedimentation, introduction of invasive species, and wide-ranging fish kills. In 1957, a project aiming to enhance habitats for trout used ichthyocides to kill fish. By eliminating the competition, it was believed that trout would thrive. [5]

Ecology

Spotfins are born predominately benthic insectivores and become more open water as they mature. According to a study done with adult specimens from the Emory River, they prefer midge, black fly, and caddisfly larvae. [6] Spotfins rely heavily on sight feeding.

Food is a leading factor for microhabitat preferences, and microhabitats differ seasonally. Spotfins streamlined body and eurythermal characteristics allows them to tolerate a wide range of habitats. During the summer and fall months, spotfins are most likely found in clear, warm water stretches of rivers that resemble run habitats. These runs consist of boulder/bedrock substrates with medium to moderate depth and velocity. However, during the winter they are most commonly found in pool habitats with a sandy substrate. Due to similar habitat requirements and desired prey they tend to compete with other minnow species. Their most common competitors of the genus Cyprinella , primarily whitetail shiners (Cyprinella galactura), and the genus Luxilus , such as the warpaint shiner (Luxilus coccogenis). [4] Humans are also competing for habitat. Flooding and sedimentation are both results of impounding water and harvesting riparian vegetation.

Life history

They spawn in areas with clean running water between May and August. The timing of spawning varies based on temperature and photoperiod. Breeding males' bodies will turn a metallic blue with their fins forming a white margin. [7] Males will then select the site and deposit milt along the length of the crevice to attract the female. Spotfins spawn on stream bottoms where boulders create crevices. Females deposit their eggs in the crevice which is then fertilized by the male. Clutch size has been difficult to determine, but studies have shown the number to be in the low to mid hundreds per breeding pair. Any eggs not concealed by the crevice are quickly cannibalized by either of the parents. Eggs have an incubation period of about six days. They grow rapidly as embryos while remaining benthic for approximately 30 days. [8] Juveniles will then enter the water column and begin feeding on macroinvertebrates. After two years, most spotfin chub have reached sexual maturity. Spotfin chub have a lifespan of three years.

Current management

In 1977, spotfin chub became federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. [9] [10] Habitat loss, sedimentation, and dams have severely damaged the sustainability of its population.[ citation needed ] Sedimentation is detrimental to spotfin chub: a 2006 laboratory test done at the University of Georgia showed that densely suspended sediment levels in the water can result in a 15-fold decrease in growth rates of juveniles. Suspended sediment also damages gill tissues which impairs respiration and osmoregulatory patterns. [11]

Organized efforts by many state, federal, and non-profit organizations have helped to sustain spotfin populations for many years.[ citation needed ] Non-invasive capture and relocation from species abundant locations to low species abundance has helped to redistribute them to their once native ranges. Also, captive breeding efforts by Conservation Fisheries, Inc. and other organizations have increased knowledge of breeding patterns, life history, and microhabitat requirements.

Related Research Articles

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

The woundfin is a species of minnow endemic to the Virgin River of the southwestern United States. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Plagopterus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern hogsucker</span> Species of 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. In addition this species also is common in flowing water near dams and other streams of water. 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". This species only gets around 8-12 inches in length but given the right conditions can exceed 16 inches in length and even exceed a pound in weight. The Northern Hogsucker is typically a bronze to gold coloration with patches of brown and black on its body. It has brownish grayish eyes. It’s dorsal and pectoral fins are a dark brown color with the dorsal fin having a small bit of red on it as well. The northern hogsucker and other sucker minnow species have been seen in memes due to the unusual appearance of their mouths.

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

The Tennessee shiner is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. It is native to the southeastern United States.

<i>Cyprinella</i> Genus of fishes

Cyprinella is a genus of fish in the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows. They are known as the satinfin shiners. They are native to North America, and some are among the most common freshwater fish species on the eastern side of the continent. Conversely, several Cyprinella species with small distributions are threatened and the Maravillas Creek subspecies of the red shiner is extinct.

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

The blue shiner is a species of fish in the carp family. It is native to the southeastern United States, where it is endemic to the Cahaba and Coosa River systems of the Mobile River Basin. This is a federally listed threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of the United States.

<i>Fusconaia cuneolus</i> Species of bivalve

Fusconaia cuneolus, the fine-rayed pigtoe pearly mussel or fine-rayed pigtoe, is a species of bivalve in the family Unionidae. It is native to Tennessee, Alabama, and Virginia in the United States, in each of which its population has declined severely. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Pleurobema oviforme</i> Species of bivalve

Pleurobema oviforme, the Tennessee clubshell, is a species of freshwater mussel in the family Unionidae, the river mussels. It is native to the eastern United States, where it occurs in Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. It also previously occurred in Mississippi.

<i>Cyprinella spiloptera</i> Species of fish

The spotfin shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is a small sized freshwater fish found abundantly in many watercourses of North America.

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

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 3 inches (7.6 cm) 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.

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

The blacktail shiner is a small freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae native to the United States.

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

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 chub is a minnow in the family Cyprinidae. It is one of the most common fishes in North American streams.

The holiday 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 the southeast US water system, with disjunctive populations throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is also located in the Coosa River / Choccolocco Creek watershed which begins in Tennessee and far west Georgia, then enters Alabama. Its diet, close to other members of the subgenus Ulocentra, consists of small insects, including midges, black fly larvae, and small crustaceans. The two subspecies inhabit small to medium-sized gradient-rich streams. They are often found in fast-moving streams with large boulders, gravel, cobbles, and sand. They can be found in the margins between these large boulders, and use the boulders for protection from predators and for the females to attach eggs. The holiday darter has very vibrant coloration, but will display even more brilliant coloration during or before spawning. Spawning takes place during the spring, usually around April or May. This species is state listed in Georgia as threatened. One of the disjunct populations is located in the Talladega National Forest, which results in it being protected from human encroachment. The separate populations can make it difficult to determine the exact population count.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilt darter</span> Species of fish

The gilt 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 can be found in a number of states in the Mississippi River drainage of the United States although it has been extirpated from some river systems in which it was at one time present, mostly due to siltation and pollution problems. Males are more colorful than females and can grow to a length of about 9 cm (3.5 in). It is a benthic fish that feeds primarily on small aquatic insect larvae. Males form territories during the breeding season in late spring and early summer. Spawning typically takes place at the upper ends of riffles with sandy and gravelly bottoms interspersed with larger cobbles. Some organisations are endeavouring to conserve populations of the gilt darter and re-introduce it to states where the fish has been extirpated but suitable habitat still exists.

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

The Altamaha shiner is a species of fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to the Piedmont region of Georgia, where it occurs in the upper areas of the Altamaha River drainage area, primarily above the fall line in north-central Georgia.

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

The bleeding shiner is a freshwater ray-finned minnow in the family Leuciscidae, which was recently changed to distinguish between North American and Asian minnows. It occurs in tributaries of Ozark-draining tributaries of the Missouri, and Mississippi rivers in southern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas. Its preferred habitat is rocky and sandy pools and runs of headwaters, creeks and small rivers.

References

  1. NatureServe (2014). "Cyprinella monacha". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T6137A15364149. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T6137A15364149.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. NatureServe (6 January 2023). "Erimonax monachus". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  3. "ITIS Standard Report Page: Cyprinella monacha". www.itis.gov.
  4. 1 2 3 Yoichiro Kanno, Christina U. Schmidt, Steven B. Cook, Hayden T. Mattingly. 2012. Variation in microhabitat use of the threatened spotfin chub (Erimonax monachus) among stream sites and seasons. Ecology of Freshwater Fish21: 363-374, doi : 10.1111/j.1600-0633.2012.00556.x
  5. J.R. Shute, Patrick L. Rakes and Peggy W. Shute. 2005. Reintroduction of Four Imperiled Fishes in Abrams Creek, Tennessee. Southeastern Naturalist4(1): 93-110, JSTOR   3878160
  6. Etnier, David A.; Starnes, Wayne C. (1993). The Fishes of Tennessee. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press. pp. 153–154. ISBN   0-87049-711-1 . Retrieved 18 January 2023 via Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange.
  7. "Fish and Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20.
  8. Patrick L. Rakes, John R. Shute and Peggy W. Shute. 1999. Reproductive behavior, captive breeding, and restoration ecology of endangered species. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55: 31-42, doi : 10.1023/A:1007531927209
  9. "Spotfin Chub (Erimonax monachus)". Environmental Conservation Online System. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  10. 42 FR 45526
  11. Andrew B. Sutherland and Judy L. Meyer. 2007. Effects of increased suspended sediment on growth rate and gill condition of two southern Appalachian minnows. Environmental Biology of Fishes80: 389-403, doi : 10.1007/s10641-006-9139-8

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Cyprinella monacha at Wikimedia Commons