Western blacknose dace

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Western Blacknose Dace
Rhinichthys obtusus 241118021.jpg
Fish caught in Mississauga, Ontario.
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Leuciscinae
Clade: Pogonichthyinae
Genus: Rhinichthys
Species:
R. obtusus
Binomial name
Rhinichthys obtusus
Agassiz, 1854 [2]
Synonyms

Rhinichthys meleagrisAgassiz, 1854

Western Blacknose Dace from Indiana. Western blacknose dace.jpg
Western Blacknose Dace from Indiana.

Western blacknose dace (Rhinichthys obtusus) is a common species of ray-finned fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae (minnow or carp) [3] and the genus Rhinichthys . Western blacknose dace have tan to dark brown backs, lighter sides, and cream colored undersides. [4] Dark blotches are sporadically scattered across their sides and backs. [4] A distinctive dark colored mid-lateral stripe from the tip of the snout to the caudal peduncle is present. [4] The snout is relatively long and they have a slightly sub-terminal mouth. [5] The stripe is dark brown in females and is a rusty pink color in males during spawning season. [6] The lateral stripe is more pronounced and the caudal spot is present in juveniles. [7] 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. [4] Western blacknose dace are typically 2-3 inches long but can grow to as long as 4 inches. [4] 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. [7]

Contents

Habitat and ecology

The western blacknose dace inhabits the upper Mississippi, Ohio, and Great Lakes drainages, from as far north as south-central Canada to northern Alabama and Georgia and east to eastern Lake Erie. [1] Young daces prefer to inhabit shallower, quiet pools with silty bottoms while more mature daces prefer streams with consistently high turbulence patterns and plenty of places to hide since they are a prey species. [8] Most often they occupy water depths ranging from 100 to 200 mm with gravel or cobble bottoms. [8] They can also be found in riffles hiding under large rocks or boulders. [4]

Reproduction

Spawning begins in spring and continues to mid-summer depending on water temperature. [8] The western blacknose dace spawn in areas with gravel bottoms unlike other daces who spawn in the beds of other Cyprinids. [4] Since the western blacknose dace is so short lived, only living up to four years, daces begin reproducing after 2 years. [4] Unlike other species of dace the two Ohio Rhinichthys species do not spawn in the nests of larger minnow species. [5]

Food and feeding habits

Western blacknose dace are mostly carnivorous and exhibit changes in diet as they grow older. Young dace diets consist mostly of Dipteran larvae. [8] Mature daces continue to feed on Dipteran larvae when available but a large portion of their diet also include amphipods. [8] The change in diet is thought to be because of the change in the areas that they inhabit once the daces mature. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnow</span> Common name for a number of species of small freshwater fish

Minnow is the common name for a number of species of small freshwater fish, belonging to several genera of the families Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae. They are also known in Ireland as pinkeens.

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

The loach minnow is a species of freshwater fish. It is a member of the carp family of order Cypriniformes. It occurs in streams and small rivers throughout the Gila River and San Pedro River systems in Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora; it is now considered extinct in Mexico.

<i>Rhinichthys</i> Genus of fishes

Rhinichthys, known as the riffle daces, is a genus of freshwater fish in the carp family (Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes. The type species is Rhinichthys atratulus, the blacknose dace. Rhinichthys species range throughout North America.

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

The freshwater drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, is a fish endemic to North and Central America. It is the only species in the genus Aplodinotus, and is a member of the family Sciaenidae. It is the only North American member of the group that inhabits freshwater for its entire life. Its generic name, Aplodinotus, comes from Greek meaning "single back", and the specific epithet, grunniens, comes from a Latin word meaning "grunting". It is given to it because of the grunting noise that mature males make. This noise comes from a special set of muscles within the body cavity that vibrate against the swim bladder. The purpose of the grunting is unknown, but due to it being present in only mature males and during the spawning season, it is assumed to be linked to spawning.

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

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.

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

The rosyface shiner is a small fresh water fish of the minnow and carp family (Cyprinidae). It is native to eastern North America.

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

The sheepshead minnow, also known as sheepshead pupfish, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinodontidae, the pupfishes. It is found in salt marsh and estuary environments and is native to the eastern coasts of North and Central America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern redbelly dace</span> Species of fish

The southern redbelly dace, is a North American species of temperate freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. The natural geographic range extends from Western New York to Minnesota, and south to Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama. This fish prefers flowing pools of creeks and streams.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern blacknose dace</span> Species of fish

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.

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

Silverjaw minnows are part of the family Cyprinidae, which includes carps and minnows. With over 300 known species, there are more species of minnows native to North America's fresh waters than any other fish. Minnows can be hard to distinguish because many look alike. All minnows have one dorsal fin, ventral fins near the anus, a lateral line system, and smooth, round cycloid scales. Their jaws lack teeth, but they have one to three rows of pharyngeal teeth to grind food. Defining physical characteristics such as the number and type of fin rays, type of scales, and pattern of pharyngeal teeth are used to distinguish minnows.

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

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

The pugnose minnow is a species of cyprinid fish found in the eastern North America. There are two recognized subspecies with the subspecies from Florida recognized as race peninsularis.

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

The bullhead minnow is a species of freshwater demersal fish, native to the southern United States.

<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.

<i>Mylocheilus caurinus</i> Species of fish

Mylocheilus caurinus, the peamouth, peamouth chub, redmouth sucker or northwestern dace, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the family Cyprinidae, the carps and minnows, that is found in western North America. It is the only species in its genus.

The blacknose dace is either of two ray-finned fish species:

<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. 1 2 NatureServe (2013). "Rhinichthys obtusus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202364A18228801. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202364A18228801.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Sinibrama obtusus" in FishBase. April 2006 version.
  3. "Rhinichthys obtusus summary page". FishBase. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. "Western Blacknose Dace". wildlife.ohiodnr.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  5. 1 2 Wildlife, Ohio DNR Division of. "Western Blacknose Dace". wildlife.ohiodnr.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  6. "Rhinichthys obtusus summary page". FishBase. Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
  7. 1 2 Grant, UW Sea. "Fish Details". www.seagrant.wisc.edu. Archived from the original on 2017-03-10. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Tarter, Donald (1970). "Food and Feeding Habits of the Western Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys atratulus meleagris Agassiz, in Doe Run, Meade County, Kentucky". The American Midland Naturalist. 83 (1): 134–159. doi:10.2307/2424012. JSTOR   2424012.
  9. "Western Blacknose Dace". Archived from the original on 2017-02-10. Retrieved 2017-04-12.