Fishes of Canada's National Capital Region

Species Accounts

Cyprinidae - Carps and Minnows - Carpes et Ménés

Carps, minnows, shiners, daces, chubs and their relatives comprise 53 species in fresh waters across Canada and 22 in the NCR, 2 of which are exotic or introduced. Some species may enter brackish water but the family is primarily a freshwater one. The family is also found in Africa and Eurasia but is absent from South America, Madagascar, New Guinea and Australia. There are over 2100 species, almost 10% of the world's fishes.

Carps are small (under 5 cm) to large (up to 3 m) fishes characterised by throat or pharyngeal teeth in 1-3 rows, with a maximum of 8 teeth in a row, there are no jaw teeth, lips are usually thin and not sucker-like, the upper jaw is bordered by the premaxillae bones, barbels are present in 0-3 pairs (mostly 1 pair or none in Canadian species), 3 branchiostegal rays, no true stomach, cycloid scales, and there are no true fin spines (some species have a hardened, unbranched ray in the dorsal and/or anal fin). The 4 anterior vertebrae are modified into Weberian ossicles which connect the swimbladder, in effect a sounding board, to the inner ear. Carps have extremely sensitive hearing and this is thought to account for their success. Carps produce an "alarm substance" when injured. This chemical stimulates other carps to flee and hide, another useful adaptation.

Pharyngeal tooth counts are an important diagnostic feature. These teeth lie on a modified, fifth gill arch which can be seen or probed behind the shoulder girdle, just inside the gill opening. The arch has to be removed with dissecting equipment to count the teeth. Tooth counts are presented as a formula such as 2,5-4,1 which indicates 2 teeth in the outer left row, 5 in the inner left row, 4 in the inner right row and 1 in the outer right row. Teeth may be lost from major or minor rows so variant formulae are given after the principal one. A horny pad on the underside of the basioccipital bone of the skull is used to masticate the food against. Tooth form varies with the food - molar-shaped teeth are used to crush molluscs, flat but grooved surfaces for grinding plant food and sharp edged teeth for slicing various invertebrate foods. Fin ray counts are also important in identification. The dorsal and anal fins have 3-4 unbranched rays followed by several branched rays. The first 2-3 unbranched rays are short or close together and may be difficult to see. The branched rays are usually well-separated and obvious. The last 2 branched rays are traditionally counted as 1 ray since they articulate with a single basal bone in the supporting skeleton. North American scientists give counts of dorsal and anal fin rays to include the last unbranched ray (i.e. as 1 ray) plus all branched rays with the last 2 counted as 1. In this website I have given only branched ray counts for dorsal and anal fins with the last 2 counted as 1.

Carps are remarkable for changes they undergo during the spawning season. Some fish, which are usually silvery, develop bright reds and yellows. Nuptial, pearl or breeding tubercles develop on the head, scales and fin rays often in distinct patterns, and there are in some species swellings of the head or fin rays. These changes are most apparent in males. Tubercles and swollen rays are used to clasp females during the spawning act. Tubercles are also used to fight other males and defend and clean nests. Colour attracts females for mating. Generally males have longer pectoral fins than females. Nest building males are larger than females, the reverse of the situation in most fishes where egg-bearing females are the largest. Not all species build nests and some simply broadcast eggs over weed, gravel or sand. Fractional spawning is common in carps. This is a prolonged spawning season which ensures no single batch of eggs is lost to unfavourable, temporary environmental changes such as floods. Carps are mostly omnivores, feeding on small crustaceans, insects and some minute plants but some specialise in eating large plants, or other fishes. Diet is reflected in pharyngeal tooth shape as mentioned above. Gut length is important too. A long intestine indicates a reliance on plant material which takes longer to digest. A simple, s-shaped gut is found in insectivorous fish. A black peritoneum is thought to protect gut bacteria from damaging light. The bacteria aid in breaking down the strong cell walls of plants. Size and shape of the mouth are also indicative of diet. Carps are found in many diverse habitats from swift, cold streams to warm bogs. These are schooling fishes, especially when young.

Carps play an important role in freshwaters as food for other fishes and some species are commercially important as bait fish, as sport fish or as food in Asian countries. Raising minnows (smaller Carp family members) as bait and as forage fish for sport fish is a big business in the U.S.A. It should be noted that it is prohibited to use live fish as bait in Québec or to carry them in from the Ontario side of the Ottawa River (Bergeron, 2005). They are an important element in the commercial aquarium trade and certain species are used in experimental studies by scientists.

The :Lake Chub (Couesius plumbeus) (Agassiz, 1850) is widely distributed in areas all around the NCR but has not been caught within this area. The Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus (Herman, 1804)) is also not uncommon east and west of the NCR and, like the previous species, has been mapped within the NCR (Bernatchez and Giroux, 2000) but there are no confirmed records.

Goldfish / Carassin
Carassius auratus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Golden Carp and Cyprin doré.

Key Characters

This species is identified by having 14-20 dorsal fin branched rays, a serrated spine at the dorsal and anal fin origins and no barbels, unlike the similar carp.

Description

Anal fin branched rays 5-6, usually 5, pectoral rays 14-17 and pelvic rays 8-10. Lateral line scales 25-34. Gill rakers 37-50. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4, with one tooth conical and the others with expanded crowns. Breeding males have small nuptial tubercles on the operculum, back and pectoral fin rays. The gut is elongate with several loops.

Colour

The golden or orange colour of artificially bred aquarium Goldfish is distinctive. However populations in the wild, if they breed successfully, gradually revert to a wild-type of colour. Golden fish are readily seen and eaten by birds and other fishes. Wild-type colour is an overall olive-green fading to a white belly. Young Goldfish are green, brown or bronze to almost black. Peritoneum dusky to black.

Size

Reaches 45.7 cm and 1.6 kg; larger fish being hybrids with the Common Carp.

Distribution

Originally found in China and Korea, now widely introduced in Canada by design or accident. Reported from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. They have been found in North America for over 100 years.

Origin

This species is an exotic or introduced species in the NCR, presumably by aquarium releases.

Habitat

Goldfish appear to favour ponds, or pools in streams, with aquatic vegetation but are often introduced into small bodies of water as ornamental fish or out of curiosity to see if they will survive. They are tolerant of turbidity, polluted waters, winterkill conditions and very high temperatures (upper lethal limit 41.4°C, preferred temperature 27.9°C).

Age and Growth

Life span, at least in captivity, is 30 years or more but about 7 years is more normal in the wild. Sexual maturity is attained at 9 months to 4 years. Males are smaller and grow more slowly than females. In any population females outnumber males as much as 7:1.

Food

Food includes aquatic insects, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, detritus and plants. Goldfish have a palatal organ on the roof of the mouth used to taste and sort food.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in warmer summer months at temperatures above 16°C and eggs are shed over plants or willow roots, often on sunny mornings. Each female is accompanied by 2 or more males and chases are reported with much splashing. Eggs are adhesive and up to 1.6 mm in diameter. A female will spawn 3-10 batches of eggs at 8-10 day intervals, with up to 4000 eggs being laid in each batch. Total fecundity is 380,000 eggs. Population numbers in confined areas are limited by a chemical released by the Goldfish which represses more spawning. Some populations of Goldfish are all-female clones.

Importance

Goldfish are familiar aquarium pets with many exotic varieties having been developed. These include Comets, Veiltails, Fringetails, Telescopes, Lionheads, Orandas, Shubunkins and others, often with bizarre shapes. They are also extensively used as an experimental fish, perhaps more than any other fish species. Studies include physiological and biochemical work and toxic chemical bioassays. Carp-goldfish hybrids have been used to demonstrate pollution in the Welland River near Niagara Falls. Fish from industrial areas had a higher frequency of cancers than those from a rural area. This hybrid is, therefore, a "sentinel" species or an advance warning system of deteriorating environmental conditions. Some are caught and sold with Common Carp as food.

Spotfin Shiner / Méné bleu
Cyprinella spiloptera (Cope, 1867)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Silver-finned Minnow, Satin-finned Minnow, Blue Minnow, Steelcoloured Shiner and Lemonfin Minnow. Formerly in the genus Notropis.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. This species is separated from its relatives by the last 2-4 membranes of the dorsal fin having black stripes.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays usually 7, occasionally 6, anal fin branched rays 6-8, pectoral rays 12-16 and pelvic rays 7-9. Lateral line scales 34-41. The short gill rakers number 8-10. Pharyngeal teeth 1,4-4,1 or 1,4-4,0. Males have large nuptial tubercles on top of the head back to the dorsal fin, on the snout and on the lower jaw in a single row. Small tubercles are present on posterior edges of scales, particularly over the anal fin, and on pectoral, pelvic, caudal and anal fin rays.

Colour

The back and flanks are silvery to bluish or olive and the belly white or silvery-white. Flank scales are outlined with pigment. There is a narrow, olive stripe on the rear half of the body positioned below the lateral line. There is a mid-dorsal stripe passing on each side of the dorsal fin. Pectoral, pelvic and anal fins yellowish, especially in breeding males. Breeding males have an olive-yellow snout, steel-blue back, milky-white fin edges and the whole dorsal fin is blackened. Peritoneum silvery with some darker speckles.

Size

Reaches 12.0 cm.

Distribution

Found from Québec City west through the Great Lakes (but not in Lake Superior) and southern Ontario to North Dakota and south to Alabama and Oklahoma. Coad (1987b) documents occurrence in the NCR.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Spotfin Shiners are usually found in rivers and larger streams over sand and gravel but may also occur in lakes. They are said to be tolerant of turbidity, siltation, high temperatures (up to 35°C, preferred temperature 29.5°C.) and pollution.

Age and Growth

Life span is 5 years and both sexes mature at 1 year, sometimes at 2 years of age.

Food

Food is mostly aquatic and terrestrial insects and crustaceans, with some plant material and even young fish. They eat eggs of their own species if these are deposited outside a crevice. Peak feeding occurred at 9 p.m. in a Michigan study.

Reproduction

Spawning takes place from May to September in Wisconsin but each locality has a more restricted peak season. Up to 7474, 1.2 mm diameter, adhesive eggs are deposited on the undersurface of logs or roots, under log bark or in crevices., or on vertical substrate Males defend a spawning territory of 50 cm or more which includes a crevice. They have been seen dragging rivals away by a grip on the pelvic or anal fin when an erected fin display failed to drive away the other male. Each male may grab the other and circle around at increasing speed until they are a blur in the water. Males make a "display pass" over crevices, swimming slowly and sometimes undulating or vibrating rapidly. Passes may occur up to 30 times before spawning. This usually attracts a female or the male may approach a school of females and hustle one toward the crevice. A male apparently presses a female against a log or crevice by positioning himself with his ventral surface touching her back, and both vibrate as eggs and sperm are shed. This can be repeated 2-3 times. When spawning on the undersurface of a log the male-female position is the same but they are upside down. Unusually for Carp Family members, the male of this species makes purring noises during courtship which are believed to be recognition signals. Spawning occurs fractionally, up to 12 times at intervals of 1-7 days. One female is reported to have laid 31 groups of eggs, each group having 10-97 eggs. Crevice spawning protects the eggs from predators, abrasion, smothering, displacement, and sunlight. Eggs laid in crevices have a better chance of being fertilised in the restricted space than those released into a current. Fractional spawning enables fecundity to be increased as not all eggs mature at the same time in a small body cavity. In addition, in crevice spawners a limited availability of crevices would restrict spawning activity unless crevices are used more than once. Fractional spawning also insures against loss of a generation to a sudden disaster.

Importance

This species has no specific importance in Canada but has a bait fish potential.

Common Carp / Carpe
Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758

Taxonomy

Other common names include German, European, King, Mirror or Leather Carp; German Bass, Buglemouth Bass and Carpe allemande.

Key Characters

This species is characterised by having an elongate dorsal fin with 15-23 branched fin rays, spine-like rays near the dorsal and anal fin origins, 2 pairs of upper jaw barbels unlike the similar Goldfish, 21-27 gill rakers and 3 rows of pharyngeal teeth.

Description

The dorsal fin has the last unbranched ray developed as a toothed spine. The anal fin has a similar spine and 4-6 branched rays. Pectoral fin rays 14-19 and pelvic rays 8-9. Lateral line scales 32-41, when present. Scales may be absent (Leather Carp) or restricted to a few, enlarged scales (Mirror Carp) but Canadian fish are usually fully scaled. Pharyngeal teeth usually 1,1,3-3,1,1 and molar-like. Breeding males have fine tubercles on the head and pectoral fins.

Colour

The back is olive-green, yellowish-brown or grey, the flanks gold or bronze to silvery and the belly yellowish-white. Fins are dusky olive except the anal fin and lower caudal fin lobe may be reddish to orange and have a dark spot at their base. Scales on the upper flank have dark margins and bases. Peritoneum dusky. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larva.

Size

Reaches 121.9 cm and 37.88 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record from France in 1987 weighed 34.35 kg. A 17.5 kg carp measuring 99 cm long is recorded from the Ganaraska River, Ontario but fish over 23 kg are known from Ontario. A 36.48 lbs (16.56 kg) carp from Smiths Falls, south of the NCR, ranked twelfth in the 1998 Northeastern Bowfishing Championship (Bouchard in Kerr, 1999b). A 25 lbs (11.35 kg) carp, 3 feet (91.4 cm) long and 23½inches (59.7 cm) girth, was caught in Dows Lake of the NCR in April 1962 (Anonymous, 1962a), and a fish about 26 lbs (11.8 kg) in the Rideau River in 2002 (Sevitt, 2002).

Distribution

Found in New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia from introductions. First introduced to Canada in the late nineteenth century, as early as 1880 in Ontario. Also introduced world-wide in suitable waters. The native distribution is from eastern Europe to western China.

Origin

The Common Carp is an introduced species to the NCR. Dymond (1939) did not report this species in his Fishes of the Ottawa Region but McCrimmon (1968) recorded it from Pointe Gatineau in 1944. First reported from the Rideau River system in the 1950s (Phelps, 2001).

Habitat

The Common Carp is found in lakes, canals and marshes and slow-moving rivers, and possibly even some sewers in the Ottawa River drainage (http://mywebpage.netscape.com/thewizardoffish/2.htm, downloaded 7 June 2003). Carp avoid fast water in streams. A fish kill involving this species was noted at Mud Lake, Britannia Woods on 12 April 1984 probably from oxygen depletion under ice (Halliday, 1985) and again on 16 April 2003. A fish kill along extensive stretches of the Rideau River and Canal and in Mackay Lake, Rockliffe Park was reported in spring 1956 (newspaper reports). Temperatures up to 35.5°C are tolerated and their preferred temperature is 29.7°C. Below about 4°C carp are usually inactive. Carp tolerate turbid and low oxygen conditions. They can often be seen basking at the surface or feeding on algae and their dorsal fins break the water surface. Carp also leap from the water but the reason is unknown. Large fish often move into shallows in the afternoon and evening. They retreat to deeper water in winter but rarely descend below 30 m in lakes. The construction of the Carillon Dam created major impoundments and favourable conditions for carp in the Ottawa River although Qadri and Rubec (1974) found numbers in the river at Ottawa to be relatively low.

Age and Growth

Life span may reach 47 years with males maturing generally at 2-4 years and females at 3-5 years. Most fish live 9-16 years. Growth rates vary markedly, even in adjacent waters.

Food

Mouthfuls of bottom ooze are taken up, spat out and the food items selected. These include aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms and molluscs, and more rarely, fish. Plant material is ground up by the molar pharyngeal teeth and includes algae, seeds, wild rice, leaves and various aquatic plants. Organic sewage is also eaten. Some surface feeding on algal mats or insects will also occur. A wide variety of other fishes and birds eat smaller carp as do predatory aquatic insects, frogs and toads. Carp eggs are eaten by other family members, catfishes and sunfishes. Adult carp are too large for most predators except parasitic lampreys.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in groups of 1-3 females and 2-15 males in shallow, weedy waters. Temperatures of 17°C or warmer are necessary and the season lasts several days to several weeks. Spawning may occur any time between May and August in Canada and is easily observed with some fish having their backs out of the water and much audible splashing. Eggs adhere to vegetation and are about 2.0 mm in diameter. A large female can contain 2,208,000 white to yellowish eggs. Eggs hatch in 3-12 days, depending on temperature, and larvae are 3.0-5.0 mm long.

Importance

An exotic species, Common Carp are a nuisance because they uproot vegetation used by native species for cover, food and spawning. This activity also increases water turbidity to levels which many native species cannot tolerate. Stirred up silt may also smother eggs of native species. Carp also compete with Largemouth Bass and other species for food. Various methods have been employed to eradicate carp from netting to poisons and electric shockers, usually without success except in the smaller, enclosed ponds and lakes.

In the U.S.A. it is sought by anglers but is not fished for as extensively in Canada although tours from England to Ontario are now available for anglers. Carp are a premium game fish in England with angling societies, newsletters, specialised rods and other gear devoted to this species. Some carp are caught in Canada using bow-fishing, spears or spear-guns and scuba gear. In many parts of the world, carp are raised in ponds and are an important food fish. Commercial fisheries for carp above and below Hull from the Québec side of the Ottawa River is documented by Pluritec (1982b). A commercial fishery in Ontario has taken up to 454,000 kg annually valued at $100,000. The total Canadian catch in 1988 was 780 tonnes. The fish are sold alive, fresh or smoked and are often baked. In recent years carp have been found to harbour high levels of the toxic chemicals PCBs, and in Wisconsin it is recommended that carp not be eaten more than once a week. The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources publishes a print and on-line "Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish" (www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/) and has advisory limits for eating this species in the Rideau River and South Nation River. Environnement Québec also has recommended limits, in meals per month (1 to 8) for size of fish (small, medium or large), for such areas as Lac Deschênes at Aylmer and Quyon, Deschênes Rapids, the Ottawa River below Gatineau, above Hull, and at Masson, the Lièvre River above and below Buckingham and the Gatineau River at Chelsea, among others (www.menv.gouv.qc.ca, downloaded 13 October 2004). As these limits are apt to change, anglers consuming this fish should consult the most recent version.

Brightly coloured varieties of carp are known as "koi" and are kept as ornamental fish. Colours include red, orange, white, black, blue and yellow in various combinations.

Brassy Minnow / Méné laiton
Hybognathus hankinsoni Hubbs, 1929

Taxonomy

Other common names include Grass Minnow and Hankinson's Minnow.

Key Characters

This species resembles the shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus, Notropis) but has an elongate intestine which has coils on the right, and a subterminal mouth with a diagonal fold running past its corner. It is distinguished from its relative, the Eastern Silvery Minnows, by the rounded dorsal fin, brassy colour, no thin black line along flank and 14-22 radii on scales in the adult.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-7, usually 7, anal branched rays 5-8, usually 7, pectoral rays 13-15 and pelvic rays 8. Lateral line scales 35-41. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4 with a flat, oblique grinding surface. Males have breeding tubercles on rays 2-8 of the pectoral fin in multiple rows (5 or more distally).

Colour

The back is olive-green to brown with a brassy sheen, the flanks are brassy to dull silvery and the belly cream-white. There is a mid-flank stripe which is best developed from below the dorsal fin posteriorly (and best seen in preserved fish). Scales above the stripe are darkly outlined and form 2 indistinct, zig-zag stripes. There is a mid-dorsal stripe on the back. Dorsal, anal and caudal fins are yellowish and rays are outlined by dark pigment. The dorsal fin membranes are lightly spotted. The anterior pectoral and pelvic fin rays are outlined with dark pigment and the rest of these fins is clear. Some fish have a faint spot at the caudal fin basin. Breeding males become more brassy and fins take on a brassy tinge. Peritoneum jet black to dusky black.

Size

Reaches 15.8 cm standard length.

Distribution

Found in southwestern Québec, southern Ontario, western but not northern or eastern Lake Superior drainages, southwestern Manitoba, Milk River basin of southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, the Peace River basin in northwestern Alberta and the Athabasca River basin in northeastern Alberta, and in the lower and upper Fraser River and the upper Peace River in British Columbia. In the U.S.A. from New York to Montana and south to Kansas.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium or possibly a Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Brassy Minnows are found in dark, acidic ponds, shallow lakes and small, slow streams which have silt bottoms. Such areas have few or no predators. In the NCR has temperatures of 17-20°C in May-June in these habitats. Some fish are found over sand, gravel, stones or bedrock.

Age and Growth

Maturity may be attained at 1-2 years with some fish reaching 5 years of age.

Food

Food is bottom ooze for the algae, bacteria, protozoa and minute crustaceans, and some aquatic insects. Up to 94% of the food is the algae, such as diatoms and desmids. Plankton may also be taken. Feeding occurs in schools with a peak at 1-3 p.m. in one study.

Reproduction

Spawning probably takes place in May-July in Canada in marshy areas. Eggs are shed at 10°C or higher. Eggs are up to 0.8 mm in diameter, yellow and number 2500. In Wyoming spawning occurred between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., peaking at 2 p.m., in and over vegetation. Males and females aggregate in schools numbering in the thousands. One to 15 males approach a female at the edge of the school and she would respond in one of two ways. She may spiral up and leap out of the water, discouraging the males, or swim to vegetation which would stimulate one or more males to press against her, quiver and release eggs and sperm. The vibrations stir up sediment.

Importance

This minnow is used as bait in the U.S.A. Its distribution in Québec is limited and it could become threatened or vulnerable (www.fapaq.gouv.qc.ca, downloaded 7 October 2002).

Eastern Silvery Minnow / Méné d'argent
Hybognathus regius Girard, 1856

Taxonomy

Another common name is Méné bleu and Méné d'argent de l'est. This species was formerly thought to be the same as the Western Silvery Minnow and both were combined with the Central Silvery Minnow (not in Canada) under the name Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz, 1855.

Key Characters

This species resembles the shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus, Notropis) but has an elongate intestine which has coils on the right, and a subterminal mouth with a diagonal fold running past its corner. It is distinguished from its relative, the Brassy Minnow, by its falcate dorsal fin, silvery colour, a thin black line along flank (partly over the mid-flank stripe) and 12 or less radii on adult scales below the dorsal fin.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, anal branched rays 7-8, pectoral rays 14-16 and pelvic rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 38-40. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4 with a flat, grinding surface. Males have breeding tubercles on the head, back, flank scales, particularly abundant on anterior scales, and on both sides of all fins, best developed on the upper pectoral and pelvic fins.

Colour

The back is olive with the flanks silvery and the belly silvery-white. There is a broad stripe along the mid-line of the back. The mid-flank stripe has a sharp upper edge and begins half way between the head and the level of the dorsal fin origin. It extends to the base of the tail fin where it is widened or spot-like. A thin black line runs through the middle of this stripe and then ascends slightly. The preorbital bone of the head has a silvery spot. The lower margin of the caudal fin is white. Dorsal and caudal fin rays and the rear edges of anal rays 2 and 3 are outlined with pigment. Pectoral fin rays 1-7 are also outlined with pigment but the rest of the fin is clear. Pelvic fins clear. Breeding males become yellowish on the flanks and lower fins. Peritoneum black.

Size

Reaches 15.7 cm total length.

Distribution

Found in Lake Ontario drainages, the lower Ottawa and upper St. Lawrence river basins of Ontario and Québec south to Georgia east of the Appalachian Mountains.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from an Atlantic coastal refugium.

Habitat

This species is common in lakes and streams where there are pools and backwaters. The bottom is variable and includes ooze, sand, gravel and boulders. It is a schooling species and is sensitive to turbidity and siltation but occurs where there is availability of detrital food (Mandrak and Ramshaw, 1998).

Age and Growth

Life span is 3 years. Males are mature in their second year, females spawn at 1 year of age in New York.

Food

Food includes bottom ooze and algae such as diatoms, although in Lac Memphrémagog, Québec 0+ fish fed on cladocerans principally, with rotifers and chironomids, switching to almost entirely organic detritus with increased age (Mandrak and Ramshaw, 1998).

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in late April to mid-May in New York at about 13-21°C, starting at 10:00 a.m. and lasting until 4:00 p.m. In Delaware, spawning takes place in April and May at 10-20°C. Females may contain 6600 eggs. The spawning behaviour in New York commences with a concentration of males inshore with females in deeper water. A female ready to spawn moves towards shore and is escorted by 1-10 males. A female may jump out of the water and return to deeper water without spawning. Usually 2 males flank her and the fish quiver strongly in very shallow water (5-15 cm deep). Non-adhesive, demersal eggs of 1.0 mm diameter are shed onto the ooze bottom. Spawning activity stirs up the ooze bottom. The female returns to deeper water and the males remain to wait for another female.

Importance

This species has been used as a bait fish in Ontario and in Québec for Yellow Perch, Northern Pike and Walleye in winter. About 15,600 kg has been caught around Montréal in the fall and Toner (1943) notes considerable in the Ottawa River. This species was placed in the "Not at Risk" category in 1997 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

Common Shiner / Méné à nageoires rouges
Luxilus cornutus (Mitchill, 1817)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Eastern Shiner, Redfin Shiner, Silver Shiner, Silverside, Rough-head, Hornyhead, Creek Shiner, Dace, Skipjack and Méné à ruisseau. Formerly in the genus Notropis.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is distinguished by having anal fin branched rays 7-9, usually 7-8, exposed part of anterior lateral line scales twice as high as wide, dorsal fin origin over or in front of pelvic fin insertion level, predorsal scale rows 16-30, usually 18-24 (counted from below dorsal fin origin to head, 3-6 scale rows up from the lateral line), and the chin is not pigmented.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, pectoral rays 15-17 and pelvic rays 8-9. Lateral line scales 34-44. Short gill rakers number 9-10. Pharyngeal teeth hooked at the tip, usually 2,4-4,2 with such variants as 2,4-4,0 or 1,4-4,1. Males have nuptial tubercles on the snout, in a single row on each lower jaw, sparsely on the nape back to the dorsal fin including the first ray and on the anterior pectoral fin rays.

Colour

The back is olive-green to olive or bluish-olive with a purple to grey-blue mid-dorsal stripe, flanks are silvery with bronze tinges and some darkened scales, and the belly is silvery-white. The flanks bear a dark stripe bordered with lighter stripes above and below. There are 3-5 grey-blue, parallel wavy lines on the upper flank but these do not meet in a V behind the dorsal fin. Upper flank scales are not outlined with pigment. Fins are clear. Young are more silvery and lack the bronze tinges. Breeding males have pink to red on the distal third of all fins, the anterior flanks and head are pink and there is a golden stripe on the upper flank. The head is darkened to a lead blue. Peritoneum black to brown. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larva.

Size

Reaches 20.8 cm.

Distribution

Found from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick through southwestern Québec and southern Ontario (rare in lower James Bay tributaries) and the Great Lakes but not the northeastern shore of Lake Superior, to southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. In the U.S.A. south to Virginia and Colorado.

Origin

This species may have entered the NCR from either a Mississippian or an Atlantic coastal refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Common Shiners are found abundantly in streams, rivers and less frequently at lake margins. The water may be clear or cloudy, the bottom may vary from boulders to mud, silt and detritus, and the current varies from still to medium. Their preferred temperature is 21.9°C.

Age and Growth

Life span in Québec is about 7 years, perhaps up to 9 years elsewhere, with maturity attained at 1-3 years. Males grow faster than females and in the Laurentides, Québec study were 1.8 cm longer at age 5 and weighed more than twice as much. This population matured at 3 years. However growth was slower than in eastern Ontario and U.S.A. fish.

Food

Food is taken from the surface and the bottom and includes aquatic insects, algae, other plants, crustaceans, worms, protozoans, desmids, and small fishes. As much as 71% of the food may be plant material. These fish have been characterised as roving opportunists, taking whatever food is available. Fish thought to be this species have been observed taking orthopterids and leafhoppers from the water surface in the South Castor River of the NCR by F. W. Schueler (in litt., 11 August 2004). They are food for various other fishes and birds.

Reproduction

Spawning takes place by day over stream riffles from May to July when water temperatures exceed 16°C. Tubercle scars, indicating spawning had ended, were found on NCR fish caught on 25 July (McAllister and Coad, 1975). In the Laurentides, Québec spawning occurs near the end of May and the beginning of June. A nest may be excavated in gravel beds of streams or the nests of other species may be used. Males clean a nest area by using their heads to move stones. Each male defends his nest site against other males using his head tubercles to butt opponents. Fin raising may scare away an opponent or pairs of males may parallel swim for up to 2 m with the caudal peduncle and tail slightly raised, followed by butting. The winner returns to the nest site. Males "tilt" to attract a female onto the nest site, inclining the body to one side then the other. The female takes up a position on the side of the male which makes the acutest angle with the bottom. Males may aggregate in masses of 100 fish, all fighting, butting, biting and chasing. Spawning occurs on the fourth day after the aggregate forms. Injuries often result and become infected with fungus. A dominant male can spawn 8 times in 5 minutes with 36 courting tilts. He may occupy an outlying area from the aggregate association, using the area for only a day or two at a time. Once the female moves onto the nest site, the male curves around her with his pectoral fin under her breast and his caudal peduncle over her back, and squeezes so eggs and sperm are shed. The female darts forward abruptly after the spawning clasp and often breaks the water surface. This process is repeated many times as less than 50 eggs are shed during each spawning. Hybrids are common because other species' nests are used, notably with the Creek Chub, River Chub, Hornyhead Chub, Fallfish, Central Stoneroller and the Rosyface Shiner. Eggs are about 1.5 mm in diameter and orange when laid, and adhere to the gravel. Each female can have up to 3940 eggs. Larvae are 5.0-6.0 mm long at hatching.

Importance

This species is often used as a bait fish for Northern Pike and Walleye. It will rise to a dry fly and is said to be an acceptable food item.

Pearl Dace / Mulet perlé
Margariscus margarita (Cope, 1867)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Nachtrieb Dace, Northern Pearl Dace, Northern Minnow and Northern Dace. Formerly placed in the genus Semotilus.

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by having protractile premaxillae (a groove between the upper lip and the snout), a flat barbel in advance of the mouth corner in the groove above the upper lip, lateral line scales 46-79 (usually 65-75) and no black spot at the dorsal fin base. The barbel may be absent or very small on one or both sides in which case the high scale count in a complete lateral line, short s-shaped gut, silvery peritoneum, small mouth and lack of unique characters found in other Carp Family members distinguish this species.

Description

The upper jaw does not reach back to a level with the front of the eye. Short gill rakers number 4-6. Pharyngeal teeth hooked, 2,5-4,2, 2,4-4,2, or 2,4-4,1. Dorsal fin branched rays 6-7, usually 7, anal fin branched rays 6-7, usually 7, pectoral fin rays 14-19 and pelvic rays 8-9. Males have large nuptial tubercles on up to 8 pectoral fin rays in a double row, with a few, very small ones on the head, lining scale edges, and densely tuberculate on the first 2 branchiostegal rays. Tubercles are also present on other fins, varying greatly in number and extent. Pectoral fins are longer and wider in males than in females.

Colour

The back is dark brown to almost black, greyish or green, the flanks are olive to silvery and the belly silvery-grey to white. Flanks may have dark scales. Young fish have a brown-black stripe ending in a spot at the tail base. Breeding males and some females are orange-red below the mid-flank. This colour persists from fall to the spawning season. Peritoneum silvery with some darker speckles dorsally.

Size

Reaches 15.8 cm.

Distribution

Found from Nova Scotia and central Labrador west to Alberta, eastern British Columbia and the south of Great Slave Lake, N.W.T. In the U.S.A. south to Virginia, west to Montana with relict populations in South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from an Atlantic, Mississippian or Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Pearl Dace are found in clear streams, pools and channels of headwaters, bogs, ponds and small lakes. The bottom varies from bedrock to mud, with the latter preferred, and the water is usually still or slow moving. Their preferred temperature is 16.2°C. Pearl Dace produce an alarm substance from skin cells when injured. Other Pearl Dace react in 2 phases. The first phase is rapid, unpredictable swimming which serves to remove the fish from danger and the second phase is several hours of inactivity on the bottom which is thought to reduce the chance of detection by a predator after the first, confusing flight phase. Pearl dace are normally schooling mid-water fish. Numbers of this species in Lac LaPêche, Gatineau Park have declined while Golden Shiners have increased (Rubec, 1971).

Age and Growth

Life span is 4 years for females and 3 years for males in Maryland. Females grow faster than males in Québec and both sexes mature at 2 years.

Food

Food is aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans, young fish, detritus and occasionally algae and larger plant debris.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in late March to June at 16°C or more in clear, shallow water (perhaps half a metre deep) over sand or gravel in weak to moderate current. Spawning in Lake Gamelin, Québec occurred in the first half of May. A male defends a territory about 20 cm wide against other males. Ripe females are allowed into the territory or driven into it by the male. The male places his pectoral fin under the anterior part of the female's body, lifting it up at an angle of about 30°, and his caudal peduncle over that of the female, pressing her belly down. This may stretch the female's belly and help release the eggs. The pectoral fin tubercles of the male aid in grasping the female. The fish vibrate for about 2 seconds and eggs are shed. Females repeat spawning numerous times with different males. Each female may have up to 4240 eggs of 1.4 mm diameter.

Importance

It is used as a bait fish in Canada and anglers may catch this species on dry flies.

Hornyhead Chub / Tête à taches rouges
Nocomis biguttatus (Kirtland, 1840)

Taxonomy

Other common names include River Chub, Jerker, Horned Chub, Indian Chub and Redtail Chub.

Key Characters

This is the only member of the family in the NCR with a mouth corner barbel, large scales, and a terminal or nearly terminal mouth.

Description

Lateral line scales number 38-48, branched dorsal fin rays 6-7, usually 7, branched anal fin rays 5-6, usually 6, pectoral fin rays 14-17 and pelvic rays 8. The mouth is terminal or the snout may project a little over the mouth. Breeding males have up to 130 large and pointed tubercles on top of the head, as well as some on the pectoral fin rays. Pharyngeal teeth are 1,4-4,1, 4-4 or 4-3 and have hooked tips. Gill rakers are short and number about 12 total.

Colour

The back is olive-brown, flanks are silvery or iridescent green and the belly yellowish to white. There is a stripe along the middle of the back and along the flank and there is a round, black spot at the caudal fin base. The caudal fin is yellow in adults. Upper flank scales are outlined with pigment and have a dark bar at their base. Dorsal and anal fins are orange to reddish in breeding males and a strong, black flank stripe develops. A characteristic red spot is found behind the eye. The head and upper body have pink and blue tinges. Females also develop a flank stripe but this fades as they move away from the spawning area. Young fish have a characteristic red caudal fin and the anal and dorsal fins are also red. The peritoneum is brown to dusky with melanophores.

Size

Reaches 25.0 cm total length.

Distribution

The occurrence of this species in the NCR is documented by Coad and Alfonso (2005). It was first found in the NCR in 2004 in the Jock River and its tributary Kings Creek.

Origin

This species is spreading from southwestern Ontario eastwards, whether by natural means or aided by bait fishing releases.

Habitat

This chub prefers slow, clear, gravel- or sand-bottomed streams and rivers. It is found in pools and riffles and may hide under rocks.

Age and Growth

Life span is 4 years with males growing faster than females and reaching a larger size since they build and defend a nest. Females mature at age 3 in Ontario.

Food

Diet includes vascular plants, filamentous algae, aquatic insects, worms, crayfish, snails and fishes. Plant material is probably not absorbed as the gut is short but associated animal material must be utilised.

Reproduction

Spawning takes place once water temperatures exceed 16ºC, usually in May to July. Males build a nest of pebbles and stones in shallow water, often below a riffle. the male moves stones by rolling them along using its head and mouth or by carrying them in its mouth. A nest can be 1 nm wide, 1 m long and 15 cm deep. A spawning tough is excavated on top of the nest. The male leads or drives females over the nest, presses the female's genital area into the trough with his caudal peduncle over hers, both fish vibrate, the female gapes, and eggs and sperm are shed. Eggs are adhesive. The male adds more pebbles to the nest to protect the eggs and excavates a new trough downstream of the first. Males may spawn with more than one female, both at the same time and consecutively. Each female contains up to 995 eggs of 2.0 mm diameter. Eggs are shed at intervals and each nest may contain eggs from up to 10 females. Both males and females raid nests to steal and eat eggs. Accessory males are found around nests, adding and removing pebbles. These are small, non-spawning chub males practising reproductive behaviour or smaller, late-spawning males waiting for the earlier spawning, large males to vacate the nest site. Ideal nest sites are limited and are also used by Common Shiners which drive away smaller species while the chub drives away larger species using its head tubercle to butt other fish. Bluntnose Minnows and Johnny Darters also use the nest site, among other species not found in the NCR.

Importance

This species was placed in the "Not at Risk" category in 1988 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Anglers can catch this fish on baited hooks and dry flies and they are said to be quite tasty. They are use as bait for Northern Pike, Walleye, basses and catfishes.

Golden Shiner / Méné jaune
Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill, 1814)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Chatte de l'est, Eastern Golden Shiner, Roach, Bream, American Roach, American Bream, Butterfish, Sunfish, Windfish, Goldfish, Dace, Chub, Bitterhead, Gudgeon, Young Shad, Pond Shiner, Méné plat and Petite laquaiche.

Key Characters

This species is identified by the strongly decurved lateral line with 39-57 scales, a naked, fleshy ventral keel between the pelvic fins and the anus on the belly mid-line and 7-18 (usually 11-13 in Canada) branched rays in the anal fin.

Description

Pharyngeal teeth 5-5 with a grinding surface and hooked tips. Dorsal fin branched rays 6-8, pectoral rays 15-18 and pelvic rays 8-9. Gill rakers 18-22. Males have nuptial tubercles on the scales with up to 15 tubercles lining each scale margin with an occasional 1-2 tubercles on the central part of the scale. The largest tubercles are on mid-flank below the dorsal fin. Much smaller tubercles are scattered over the top and sides of the head, tip of the upper lip, branchiostegal rays, central caudal fin rays and weakly on other fins. There is a patch of larger tubercles on the chin.

Colour

Overall colour golden or brassy with the back olive-green to dark brown. The belly is silvery-yellow. Fins yellowish. Young fish are more silvery and can be darkly pigmented around each scale. There is also a dark lateral stripe in young. Breeding males develop orange-red pelvic fins and a black edge to the anal fin. The nape swells to a hump. Peritoneum dusky to silvery with dark melanophores. Golden shiners hybridise with Rudd, an exotic species from Europe which is easily confused with this species. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larva.

Size

Reaches 30.5 cm. A 24.0 cm total length specimen from Lac Philippe in Gatineau Park is unusually large for Canada (Pluritec Ltée, 1982).

Distribution

Found from P.E.I. (introduced) and Nova Scotia westward through southern Québec, the James Bay drainage at Lake Abitibi and the Great Lakes to southern and central Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan, and south to Florida, the Gulf states and Mexico. Widely introduced in the U.S.A. outside this range.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from possibly an Atlantic coastal or a Mississippian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Golden Shiners are found in large schools in clear, weedy areas, particularly in lakes but also in embayments of large rivers and in streams. They are often associated with branches and rocks or some other form of shelter. They are the dominant fish larvae in shallow bays with bulrushes in Heney Lake, Québec, just north of the NCR (Faber (1980). They move into deeper water as they grow. At an average length of 30 mm, they leave the littoral zone and live among submerged macrophytes offshore. These shiners favour temperatures in Canada in the low 20s°C but tolerating up to 34°C. The highest lethal temperature is 40°C, unusually high for a North American Carp Family member.

Age and Growth

Maturity is usually attained at ages of 1-2 years and life span may be 10 years. Females grow faster, larger and live longer than males. Growth varies with latitude but also variations within a similar climate zone are great.

Food

Food is principally crustaceans and flying insects taken in mid to surface waters. Other aquatic insects, molluscs, water mites, small fishes, phytoplankton and filamentous algae are also utilised. Usually only 2-3 items dominate in the diet and the dominant items vary with locality and season. Cladocerans and filamentous algae are recorded as particularly important in several studies. Shiners use 2 methods to forage on zooplankton. Large items like Cladocera (water fleas) are usually located and seized individually. Small, high density items are taken by pump filter-feeding. The shiner can switch between the 2 feeding modes as conditions dictate. This shiner may eat bass fry in ponds. Many sport fishes find this abundant shiner an important food source including Largemouth Bass, crappies and Muskellunge. The Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) eats this fish in Ramsay Lake, Gatineau Park (McMurray, 1984). A wide variety of birds also eat this shiner. In Ontario, population densities of this shiner are strongly influenced by predator densities. Food abundance does not appear to influence numbers of shiners.

Reproduction

Spawning takes place from May to August in New York when water temperatures exceed 20°C. Adhesive eggs are scattered over filamentous algae or other plants when 1-2 males chase and nudge a female. Yellow eggs are about 1.2 mm in diameter and a female can have up to 200,000. Larvae are 3.0-4.0 mm long at hatching. Largemouth Bass nests have been used by Golden Shiners as a spawning site. The male bass does not interfere and his presence serves to protect the eggs from predators.

Importance

This shiner is the leading bait fish in North America and is even pond cultured in the U.S.A. for bait sales or for food in fish hatcheries. A tolerance of low oxygen and high temperatures makes it a favourite for bait buckets. Around Montréal, 15,600 kg are caught each fall for bait. Some authors report it to be excellent eating.

Emerald Shiner / Méné émeraude
Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque, 1818

Taxonomy

Other common names include Lake Shiner, Lake Silverside, Buckeye Shiner, Milwaukee Shiner, Lake Michigan Shiner, Grands yeux, Vitreux and Épingle.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is separated from its relatives by having 8-12 branched anal fin rays, anterior flank scales rounded, dorsal fin origin behind the level of the pelvic fin insertion, slender body (body depth usually less than head length), snout length less than eye diameter, pectoral fin rays usually 15-17 and flank pigment ends above the lateral line.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-7, pectoral rays 13-17 and pelvic rays 8-9. Lateral line scales 35-43. Short gill rakers number 10-13. Pharyngeal teeth are hooked, 2,4-4,2, with occasional loss of teeth in both major and minor rows. Breeding males have tubercles on the upper pectoral fin rays 2-10 and minute tubercles on the head and sometimes the body.

Colour

The back is emerald green, blue-green to greenish-yellow and iridescent, flanks silvery and the belly is silvery-white. There is an emerald green or metallic silver mid-flank stripe and narrow mid-dorsal stripe on the back. Upper flank scales have dusky edges. Fins are clear except for white areas on the anal and caudal fins. The overall silvery colour is lost in preserved fish and mid-flank stripe is most apparent, best developed posteriorly. Peritoneum silvery and speckled brown.

Size

Reaches 12.4 cm standard length.

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec, through much of Ontario and Manitoba, throughout Saskatchewan, most of Alberta except the southwestern part, in the northwestern part of British Columbia and adjacent parts of the N.W.T. around Great Slave Lake and the upper Mackenzie River. In the U.S.A. south to the Gulf Coast west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium, or possibly a Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992). The presence of this species in Gatineau Park may be from discarded bait fish brought in by anglers (Rubec, 1975a).

Habitat

Emerald Shiners are found in large rivers or lakes where they school in open, surface waters. They overwinter in deeper water after moving inshore in the spring and in the fall. Their preferred temperature is 22-25°C and they are tolerant of turbid water.

Age and Growth

Life span is about 4 years with maturity as early as 1 year.

Food

Food is plankton, some insect larvae and surface insects, fish eggs and fry, worms and algae. There may be a migration with the plankton as it rises to the surface in the evening and descends in the morning. These shiners are an important food source for a wide range of predators including Lake Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Northern Pike and various surface-feeding birds.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in June to August in Canada, probably at temperatures over 20°C. In Wisconsin the spawning season may run from May to August, peaking in June-July. Lake Erie spawners gather offshore in schools over gravel shoals numbering in the millions at about 2-6 m. Eggs sink to the bottom and are not adhesive. A male appears to pursue a female for a few seconds until he overtakes her, presses against her perhaps with interlocked pectoral fins, the pair arch upward and roll, releasing eggs and sperm. Females may spawn more than once in a season. Eggs are up to 0.7-0.9 mm in diameter and mature yellow eggs average 3410 for all age classes in Lake Simcoe, Ontario to as high as 8733 eggs for an age 3 fish. Some females survive to spawn in their fifth summer.

Importance

This is the most important bait fish because of the immense schools which can be caught commercially. It is even pickled and sold preserved in jars as bait, especially as it is difficult to keep alive. In Québec, despite its abundance, it is relatively little used, except in fall for the winter fishing season, because of its fragility in captivity and on the hook.

Blackchin Shiner / Menton noir
Notropis heterodon (Cope, 1865)

Taxonomy

Another common name is Black-striped Minnow.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is separated by having 6-7 branched anal fin rays, and a strong, black, zig-zag, mid-flank stripe extending onto the head including the upper lip and particularly the chin.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-7, usually 7, pectoral rays 12-14, and pelvic rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 31-38, the lateral line interrupted or incomplete in some fish. Short gill rakers number 6-8. Pharyngeal teeth hooked with a cutting edge, 1,4-4,1, 1,4-4,0, 1,3-4,1 or 4-4. Breeding males have minute nuptial tubercles on the top of the head and pectoral fin rays.

Colour

The back is yellowish, the flanks silvery and the belly white to yellowish. Upper flank scales are outlined with black but there is a gap or light stripe of unmarked scales between them and the flank stripe. Fins are transparent. Breeding males are a bright golden yellow. Peritoneum silvery to dusky.

Size

Reaches 7.1 cm standard length.

Distribution

Found in the Great Lakes basin except northern Lake Superior, including southwestern Québec, southern Ontario, the Quetico region west of Lake Superior, and also southern Manitoba. Also in the upper Mississippi River basin.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

Blackchin Shiners prefer clear, weedy water of pools in rivers and streams or lakes inshore. It schools over dense vegetation. It is intolerant of turbidity, silted bottoms and weed loss. Bottoms are bedrock, boulders, gravel or sand-mud mixtures. It may be limited by water temperature, preferring cooler waters.

Age and Growth

Life span is 4 years with maturity attained at 1 year.

Food

Food is planktonic crustaceans, small aquatic insects, terrestrial insects such as flies taken at the water surface, oligochaetes, and diatoms from bottom ooze. Food is also taken off vegetation. Peak feeding occurs at dawn and dusk.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in May to July, and as late as August in Wisconsin. Fish from the NCR had partially developed tubercles on 29 June indicating spawning at a later date (McAllister and Coad, 1975). Eggs are up to 1.2 mm in diameter, adhesive on submerged plants and number up to 1800.

Importance

This species has been used as a bait fish and as a consequence of its ease of maintenance in aquaria, as a laboratory species. This species was placed in the "Not at Risk" category in 1994 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (Houston, 1996a).

Blacknose Shiner / Museau noir
Notropis heterolepis Eigenmann and Eigenmann, 1893

Taxonomy

Other common names include Northern Blacknose Shiner, Blacknose Dace, Black-sided Minnow, Muskoka Minnow, Cayuga Minnow and Blunt-nosed Minnow.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is separated from its relatives by having anal fin branched rays usually 7, often 6, 32-40 scales in a usually complete lateral line, a dark lateral stripe running onto the snout but not the chin (best seen in dead fish), and a dorsal fin origin over or behind the pelvic fin insertion level.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-8, pectoral rays 12-14 and pelvic rays 7-8. The lateral line may not be complete. Gill rakers are short and number 6-8. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4, slightly to strongly hooked at their tips. Breeding males have fine tubercles on top of the head and the first pectoral fin ray is thickened.

Colour

The back is yellowish to olive, flanks silvery and the belly silvery-white. Scales on the back are outlined with black pigment. The anterior flank stripe is made up of a series of crescent-shaped marks, the tips pointing rearward. The chin is white. Fins are mostly clear. Peritoneum silvery with some darker speckles.

Size

Reaches 9.5 cm.

Distribution

Found from Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick through southwestern Québec, Ontario, to southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In the U.S.A. southward in a narrowing distribution to Missouri and Tennessee.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian or possibly a Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Blacknose Shiners are found in small, quiet streams, marshes and lakes which are clear and weedy. The bottom is usually sand, gravel or mud and detritus. They are intolerant of turbidity and are schooling fish over vegetation during the day. They can survive winterkill conditions unlike many other related minnows. Temperatures up to at least 28°C are tolerated in the NCR (McAllister and Coad, 1975).

Age and Growth

Life span is about 3 years with most growth occurring in the first year. Maturity is attained at 1 year.

Food

Food is aquatic insects both larval and adult, crustaceans, molluscs, sponges and algae, mostly taken from the bottom, peaking at dawn and dusk.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in June and July in Ontario over sand bottoms. Fish in the NCR have been caught with large eggs on 13 June (McAllister and Coad, 1975). Yellow eggs may number up to 1420 per female with a diameter of 0.9 mm and are adhesive on the sand.

Importance

This shiner has been sold as bait in Ontario.

Spottail Shiner / Queue à tache noire
Notropis hudsonius (Clinton, 1824)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Spawneater and Sucking Carp.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is separated from its relatives by having 7 (rarely 6 or 8) anal fin branched rays, a subterminal mouth and a diffuse lateral stripe ending in a spot at the caudal fin base.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7-8, pectoral rays 12-17 and pelvic rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 34-42. Short gill rakers number 7-11. Pharyngeal teeth 2,4-4,2 with a wide range of variations (even 4-4), hooked at the tip. Breeding males have tubercles on the top of the head, up to 10 lining scales on the back, occasionally on the branchiostegal rays, and on pectoral fin rays 7-10.

Colour

The back is yellowish, pale green or olive and the belly silvery-white. The tail spot may be covered by the silvery flank colour but is obvious in young and dead fish. Fins are transparent. The lower caudal fin rays are whitish. Peritoneum silvery with scattered dark melanophores.

Size

Reaches 14.7 cm total length.

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec, most of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Great Slave Lake tributaries and the Mackenzie River system. In the U.S.A. south to Georgia in the east, but absent south of the Great Lakes, and to Iowa and Missouri in the west.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian or an Atlantic coastal refugium.

Habitat

Spottail Shiners are found in large lakes and rivers with slow to moderate current and clear water. The habitat bottom is sand, gravel, mud or silt and it has been caught as deep as 46 m. There is a movement into shallow water at night. In winter there is a retreat to deep water with individuals scattering. They can survive summer temperatures up to 35°C but their preferred temperature is a relatively cool 14.3°C. They occur in dense schools, usually in shallow water, with larger fish below smaller fish. The tail spot is a recognition mark enabling other school members to recognise conspecifics and position themselves appropriately in the school. The spot may also resemble an eye to predators which strike at the wrong end and miss as the Spottail darts away. A whole school of these eyes must be very confusing. The disappearance of these spots as the shiner attempts to escape will also trigger neighbouring members of the school to scatter.

Age and Growth

Life span is 5 years. Males grow more slowly than females. Some fish mature at age 1 and all are mature at age 3.

Food

Food includes plankton, aquatic and surface insects, molluscs, algae, and eggs and fry of their own and other species. It is a very important food for all predatory fish found with them in Canada.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs over sand in May to July in Canada, the timing depending on locality and its environmental conditions. In the NCR fish with large eggs at maximum size have been caught on 15 May (McAllister and Coad, 1975). It may be delayed until September in Wisconsin after a cold spring. In Iowa there are spawnings in May-June and in August. Yellow eggs number up to 8898 with a diameter of 1.1 mm. There are large spawning groups near stream mouths over gravel riffles or on sandy shoals. The eggs are adhesive.

Importance

This shiner has been used as a bait fish in Ontario and Québec, and as a biomonitor fish to determine the distribution through time and space of organochlorine contaminations (PCBs, mirex, dioxin and others) in the Niagara River, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.

Rosyface Shiner / Tête rose
Notropis rubellus (Agassiz, 1850)

Taxonomy

Another common name is Skipjack.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is separated from its relatives by body depth being less than head length, dorsal fin origin is posterior to the pelvic fin insertion, pectoral fin rays usually 11-14, snout length is greater than eye diameter in adults, and flank pigment ends at or below the lateral line.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-7, anal branched rays 8-10, pectoral rays 11-14 and pelvic rays 8. Lateral line scales 36-45. The short gill rakers number 6-10. Pharyngeal teeth 2,4-4,2, with a wide range of variants. Breeding tubercles in males are found on the head, numbering over 100, in a row of about 12 on the lower jaw, on scales predorsally and above the lateral line, the latter edged with 1-5 tubercles, and on the upper pectoral and pelvic fin surfaces, and on the dorsal and anal fins. Females may develop tubercles on the head. Males have larger pectoral fin rays than females.

Colour

The back is olive to yellowish or bluish, often with a thin dusky stripe, flanks silvery with a thin, iridescent green or emerald or orange stripe above the lateral line, and belly is silvery-white. Scales are outlined with pigment. Fins are transparent. Breeding males are orange-red to brick-red on the head, intense blue on the back, a light red on the belly and pink on the dorsal, anal, pectoral and caudal fin bases. There is a scarlet bar at the gill opening. Females may develop a red colouration although this is paler than in males. Peritoneum silvery with dark speckles.

Size

Reaches 9.2 cm total length.

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec west to southeastern Lake Superior but absent from the rest of Lake Superior, throughout the southern Great Lakes and southern Ontario, and in the Red River of Manitoba. In the U.S.A. south to Virginia and northern Alabama.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

This shiner is found in clear streams and rivers over gravel and sand in fast rather than still water. It occurs less frequently in lakes. The bottom is usually bedrock or sand. It is a schooling species in the lower parts of streams where these meet larger streams or rivers. It does not tolerate turbidity or silt. It may be intolerant of the highest summer temperatures as its preferred temperature is 26.8°C.

Age and Growth

Life span is 3 years with maturity attained at 1 year.

Food

Food comprises aquatic and terrestrial insects, diatoms and algae, and some fish.

Reproduction

Spawning females contain up to 1482 eggs which are 1.5 mm in diameter. Fertilised eggs are said to turn bright yellow. Orange or pink-orange eggs are shed over gravel depressions near riffles when groups of 8-25 fish quiver and thrash for 5-6 seconds, breaking the water surface. The eggs are adhesive and fall in between the gravel where they and the larvae develop. Spawning in Ontario is from mid-May to late June at 20-27°C; 26 May to 28 June and 20.0-28.9°C in the Outaouais (Thellen, 1994). Spawning may occur over Hornyhead Chub and lamprey nests or with Common Shiners. Males engage in head butting and parallel swimming but do not defend a defined territory.

Importance

This species has been used as a bait fish in the U.S.A. and is a brilliant aquarium fish although difficult to keep. The eastern population of this species was placed in the "Not at Risk" category in 1994 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (Houston, 1996b).

Sand Shiner / Méné paille
Notropis stramineus (Cope, 1865)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Shore Minnow and Straw-coloured Minnow. The scientific name Cyprinella ludibunda Girard, 1856 has priority and has been used in a limited fashion. The International Commission on Zooological Nomenclature ruled to conserve the commonly used Notropis stramineus (Anonymous, 2002).

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. It is identified by having usually 6 branched anal rays (range 5-7), a weakly developed mid-flank stripe best developed posteriorly not passing through the eye onto the snout, no black pigment concentrated about the anus or anal fin base, no pigment below the lateral line, and a thin stripe along the middle of the back before and behind the dorsal fin but not encircling it.

Description

The pupil has a wedge or "nipple" on its anterior margin that allows additional light to enter the eye for better forward vision. Dorsal fin branched rays 7, pectoral rays 12-18, and pelvic rays 7-8. Lateral line scales 31-39. Gill rakers are short and number 6-8. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4, hooked at the tip. Breeding males have minute tubercles on the head, cheeks and lower jaw and on pectoral rays 1-9 and on pelvic rays.

Colour

The back is light yellowish to olive-yellow, often almost transparent, flanks silvery with green and lavender tinges or a purplish iridescence, and belly silvery-white. Back and upper flank scales are outlined in black. There is a narrow, yellow stripe above the silvery flanks. Lateral line pores outlined with pigment, a spot above and a spot below each pore. Fins are colourless although anal fin membranes may be milky-white in breeding adults. Breeding adults develop a deeper yellow colour on the back. Peritoneum silvery with some darker speckles.

Size

Reaches 8.1 cm and 4.74 g.

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec, southern Ontario but not north of Lake Superior, southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. In the U.S.A. south to Gulf drainages and to Mexico west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

As the name suggests, this shiner prefers sandy areas of lakes and large rivers, often with little current. It may descend to 34 m. It may also be found in pools below riffles in smaller streams. The water is usually clear and plants are few. There are daily movements of this schooling fish from deep water in the day to shallows at night.

Age and Growth

Life span is at least 3 years with maturity at 1 year.

Food

Food includes aquatic insects, zooplankton, algae, bottom crustaceans, diatoms and terrestrial insects taken at the surface.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs from April to August depending on latitude and water temperature regime. Temperatures have been reported to be as high as 37°C. July appears to be the spawning peak in Michigan and Wisconsin. A female can contain up to 2660 eggs of 1.0 mm diameter. Eggs are shed over gravel or sand, perhaps under submerged vegetation, and are adhesive.

Importance

None.

Mimic Shiner / Méné pâle
Notropis volucellus (Cope, 1865)

Taxonomy

Another common name is Channel Mimic Shiner.

Key Characters

This species and other shiners (genera Cyprinella, Luxilus and Notropis) are separated from other family members by usually having 7 branched dorsal fin rays following thin unbranched rays, protractile premaxillaries (upper lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbels, large lateral line scales (fewer than 50), and a simple, s-shaped gut. This species is separated from its relatives by having 7 (rarely 8) anal fin branched rays, a dusky lateral band on the flank, black pigment around the anus and anal fin base, no clearly defined mid-dorsal stripe and pigment extends below the lateral line.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, pectoral rays 12-16 and pelvic rays 8-10. Lateral line scales 32-40 with the anterior scales twice as high as wide. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4, slightly to strongly hooked. Breeding males have minute tubercles on top of the head, snout and to a lesser extent on the preopercle and lower head, and on the pectoral rays. Upper pectoral rays are thickened.

Colour

Back with dark outlined scales on a straw-yellow to yellowish-olive background. Flanks are silvery with the dark lateral stripe poorly developed anterior to the dorsal fin level but sometimes ending at the caudal base in a triangular spot. Lateral line scales have a spot above and below each pore. The belly is white. Peritoneum silvery with some darker speckles, or dusky.

Size

Reaches 7.7 cm.

Distribution

Found from southwestern Québec through southern Ontario and the Great Lakes to northwestern Ontario and southern Manitoba. South to Mexico and Alabama.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian refugium.

Habitat

Mimic Shiners prefer still water in medium-sized streams and lakes and school at mid to surface levels. They may also be found in fast current of streams and rivers, at the base of rapids or falls. The bottom can be sand and gravel with some silt or bedrock and are often found in water less than 1 m deep. Vegetation may be present. During the night, Mimic Shiners remain on the lake bottom scattered on bare areas. They aggregate into schools of up to 20,000 fish during the day.

Age and Growth

Life span is rarely 3 years and maturity is attained at 1 year.

Food

Food is crustaceans, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and algae and detritus browsed from the bottom. Most feeding occurs at dawn and dusk. Predators include Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass, other fishes and various birds.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs from May to August in Wisconsin and orange eggs are thought to be broadcast over vegetation at night, up to 960 per female. Thellen (1994) gives a period of 20 June to 9 July for the Outaouais. Egg diameter is 1.0 mm. The gonadosomatic index of this fish in Manitoba peaked at 20°C for females and 15°C for males. Spawning there was over a three-week period in July.

Importance

None.

Northern Redbelly Dace / Ventre rouge du nord
Phoxinus eos (Cope, 1862)

Taxonomy

Another common name is Red-bellied Dace. Formerly in the genus Chrosomus, this species is now placed with its Eurasian relatives It hybridises freely with the related Finescale Dace, with the hybrids interbreeding, making some populations a mixture of intermediate forms, none clearly one dace or the other. Such hybrids are known from Hawley Lake, Gatineau Park. As well as diploid hybrids, mosaic and triploid hybrids have been found. Hybrids may be produced continually by the parental species or be a distinct, self-perpetuating lineage. Research has shown them to be a unisexual, clonal hybrid species perpetuated by gynogenesis, i.e. the females produce eggs identical genetically to themselves but require sperm from a related species (often one of the parental species) to stimulate development. The male makes no genetic contribution. This explanation of the all-female species is borne out by some populations now having only one of the parental species present so hybrids can no longer be produced (Joswiak et al., 1985; Dawley et al., 1987; Dawley and Goddard, 1988; Goddard et al., 1989).

Key Characters

This species has protractile premaxillaries (a groove between the upper lip and the snout), no barbels, an incomplete lateral line and minute scales in lateral series 66-95, a black peritoneum and, in contrast to its relative the Finescale Dace, mouth not extending past the anterior eye margin, 2 extra major loops in the long gut and a stripe or series of spots between a dark upper flank stripe and the back.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-8, anal branched rays 6-8, pectoral rays 13-16 and pelvic rays 8-9. Scales have radii on all fields. The lateral line usually does not pass the level of the pelvic fin origin. Pharyngeal teeth 5-5 with variants 5-3 and 5-4. Males have tubercles lining breast scales to form 4-6 comb-like rows. Minute tubercles are found on the head, above the anal fin, lower half of the caudal peduncle and pectoral fin rays. Larvae from Ottawa are described by Faber (1985).

Colour

The back is olive, dark brown or even black, lower flank silvery to cream below a broad, dark, mid-flank stripe. The upper flank stripe breaks up into spots behind the dorsal fin. Between the two flank stripes the body is silvery-yellow and there is a thin oblique line trending posteriorly, below the dorsal fin. There is a stripe on the middle of the back. Breeding males have a brilliant red lower flank and belly below the mid-flank stripe. The lower flank is yellow before and after the peak spawning period. Females are yellowish-green below the mid-flank stripe in the spawning season. Fins are yellowish. Larval pigment patterns are described by Faber (1984b; 1985b).

Size

Reaches 7.7 cm.

Distribution

Found from P.E.I. and Nova Scotia west through New Brunswick, southwestern Québec, probably all of Ontario but only southern Manitoba, and southwestern Saskatchewan, much of Alberta except eastern parts, the eastern Peace River basin of British Columbia and in the N.W.T. only south of Great Slave Lake. In the U.S.A. south to Pennsylvania and Colorado.

Origin

This species may have entered the NCR from Mississippian or an Atlantic coastal refugium (McAllister and Coad, 1975) or from a Mississippian or possibly Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

The Northern Redbelly Dace inhabits the brown waters of bogs, ponds and small, slow-moving streams over silt or detritus bottoms, sometimes over sand or gravel. Its preferred temperature is 25.3°C. In lakes, this fish is found in schools which break up into individuals for feeding at sunset. At this time they are subject to predation but injured fish release an alarm substance. This induces other individuals to move closer to the substrate, away from the injured fish, show more dashing and freezing movements, and form more cohesive schools. The alarm substance even allows fish to assess the risk of being eaten by a predator, by the concentration of the substance in the water. This species and its hybrid with P. neogaeus are infested with black spot disease in Lake Fortune, Gatineau Park (Paradis and Chapleau, 1994). The black spots are present on 87.3% of captured fish, are most prevalent on the fins, and the number increases with age up to as many 216. However the infestation does not appear to affect the biology of this fish.

Age and Growth

Life span is 8 years for females and 6 years for males. Maturity may be attained as early as 1 year of age.

Food

Food is diatoms, filamentous algae, zooplankton and aquatic insects. Various fish-eating birds and Brook Trout eat this species.

Reproduction

In southern Canada spawning occurs in late May to August. Fish in the NCR have been caught containing large eggs in May (McAllister and Coad, 1975) and larvae in June (Faber, 1985b). Some populations in central Ontario have an extended spawning season, from mid-June to mid-August. These fish were fractional spawners, releasing eggs in batches over a long period. Temperatures are usually above 13°C. A female, with 1-8 males in attendance, darts in and out of filamentous algae, depositing non-adhesive (other reports state that eggs are adhesive) eggs in a struggling mass. About 5-30 eggs are shed at each dart into the algae. A female can contain up to 6450 eggs of 1.24 mm diameter. Eggs take 8-10 days to hatch at 21.1-26.6°C and probably larvae attach to plants and other objects with cement glands on their heads. Larvae are 5.0-6.0 mm long at hatching. Development from larvae to juveniles takes 25-30 days (Faber, 1985b).

Importance

This dace is used as a bait fish in eastern Canada, for such species as Walleye.

Finescale Dace / Ventre citron
Phoxinus neogaeus Cope, 1867

Taxonomy

Other common names include Bronze Minnow, New World Minnow, Rainbow Chub and Leatherback. Formerly in the genus Chrosomus. This species hybridises readily with the Northern Redbelly Dace (q.v.).

Key Characters

This species has protractile premaxillaries (a groove between the upper lip and the snout), no barbels, an incomplete lateral line with scales in lateral series 63-92, a black peritoneum and, in contrast to the Northern Redbelly Dace, a mouth extending to below the anterior eye margin, a short, s-shaped gut, and no upper flank stripe.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 6-8, usually 7, anal branched rays 6-8, usually 7, pectoral rays 12-16 and pelvic rays 7-8. Pharyngeal teeth hooked and usually 2,5-4,2 but also 2,5-5,2, 2,5-4,1 or 1,5-4,1. The lateral line usually ends above the pelvic fin origin and has 9-34 pores. Scales are small and have radii on all fields. Spawning males have 4-5 scale rows on the breast edged with tubercles in comb-like rows and 4-5 rows of tubercles on scales above the anal fin base and on the lower caudal peduncle. The first 4-5 pectoral rays are thickened and darkened and membranes are swollen in breeding males. The first ray has a distinct notch about one-quarter of the fin length from the base.

Colour

The back and upper flank are brown to black, below is an olive-green to gold stripe and then a dark mid-flank stripe which extends onto the head and lips but not the chin, and ends in a spot at the caudal fin base. A thin dark line extends obliquely from the dark back to the flank stripe. The body has numerous, small, black speckles. Breeding males are bright chrome yellow to red below the dark mid-flank stripe. The lower flank is silvery-white to cream. Fin rays are outlined by dark pigment, most intensely during the breeding season.

Size

Reaches 10.7 cm.

Distribution

Found from Maine, New Brunswick and southwestern Québec throughout the Great Lakes and adjacent U.S. states and all of Ontario, in southern Manitoba, in most of Alberta, the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan, northeastern British Columbia and down the Mackenzie River valley. Also in Wyoming, Colorado, the Dakotas and Nebraska.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian or possibly a Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

This schooling dace favours bogs, ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams with mud or mud and gravel bottoms. The water is clear or tea-coloured.

Age and Growth

Life span is 8 years with both sexes mature at 2 years.

Food

Food is aquatic insects, crustaceans, molluscs and plankton. Terrestrial insects taken at the water surface, such as ants, as well as spiders can be eaten.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in April-July at 11°C water temperatures or higher. Spawning take space over a shorter period than for the Redbelly Dace. Both males and females initiate chases, with males nipping at the anal and caudal region of a female. The females initiate chases by swimming in a zig-zag fashion. A male swims alongside a female and places his enlarged pectoral fin under the anterior part of the female's body, so that he can direct her swimming to some degree. The male tries to press the female against a rock or perhaps in holes under logs or branches, curling his tail over her tail so that his tubercles above the anal fin are close to her vent. The pair vibrate for several seconds and sperm and about 20-40 eggs are shed. A female can have up to 3060 eggs of 1.5 mm diameter when water hardened.

Importance

Finescale Dace have been used as bait fish in Québec and Ontario, for such species as Walleye.

Bluntnose Minnow / Ventre-pourri
Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque, 1820)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Bluenosed Chub, Bullhead Minnow and Fat-head Chub.

Key Characters

This species is identified by having premaxillaries protractile (lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbel, and uniquely in this species and the Fathead Minnow the first, unbranched dorsal fin ray is short and separated by a membrane from the next, longer ray. It is separated from the Fathead Minnow by the scales in front of the dorsal fin being much smaller and more crowded than flank scales, the back is flattened, the lateral line is complete, the mouth is under the snout and there is a caudal fin base spot.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, anal branched rays 6-7, mostly 6, pectoral rays 14-17 and pelvic rays 8. Lateral line scales 37-50. Gill rakers are short and number 8-10. Pharyngeal teeth are 4-4, hooked and serrated, and the gut is elongated with several coils. Males have 3 rows of 14-17 large tubercles over the snout anterior to the nostrils and small tubercles on the upper pectoral fin rays. Breeding males have a fleshy papilla at each mouth corner, rather like a barbel.

Colour

The back is olive-green to sandy-brown, the flanks silvery and the belly white. There is a dusky flank stripe from snout to tail. Scales are outlined in black. Fins are yellowish and the dorsal fin has a dusky blotch just above the anterior base. Breeding males become almost black to bluish-black overall with a whitish spongy pad on the anterior back. Peritoneum black. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larva.

Size

Reaches 11.2 cm.

Distribution

Found in southwestern Québec, southern Ontario but not north of Lake Superior, Lake of the Woods and southern Manitoba. In the U.S.A. south to Virginia in the east and in the Mississippi River basin.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from possibly a Mississippian or an Atlantic coastal refugium.

Habitat

Bluntnose Minnows are found in lakes, ponds, marshes and streams over sand, gravel, mud or silt. The area may be heavily vegetated and the current still to medium. Their preferred temperature is 29.0°C.

Age and Growth

Life span is at least 3 years for males. Males grow much larger than females. Females mature at 1 year and males at 2 years of age.

Food

Food is detritus and includes organic matter, chironomid and other insect larvae, diatoms and algae. Algae may be taken particularly in winter. Some surface insects, plankton and worms are also taken as well as its own eggs and fry and those of other fish species. Various other fishes are predators of this species.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in late May to August at 19°C water temperatures or warmer. Eggs are laid at intervals through the season, 5-547 at a time, in shallow water (under a metre deep). Clutches laid varied between 7 to 26 per female. A spawning season at any one locality was about 7 weeks in one study to 3 months in another. Each female has up to 10,164 eggs in her ovaries in several stages of development, up to 1.5 mm in diameter. This level of egg production exceeds that of other species like the "prolific" Common Carp in terms of body weight. Generally those fish species that build nests and guard eggs are supposed to produce fewer eggs which have a better chance of individual survival than the numerous eggs produced and abandoned by prolific species. The Bluntnose and Fathead Minnows are exceptions to this general rule. The male defends a nest in shallow waters. The nest is a space under a stone, log, clam shell or even a board or tin can, cleaned out with the aid of his tubercles and tail sweeps. The undersurface of the stone is cleaned with his mouth and spongy back pad and eggs are deposited there mostly at night but also during the day. The male and female turn on their sides under the nest stone with the male under the female, pressing against her. The male rapidly arches his caudal peduncle against the female's urogenital region, the female rapidly undulates through an s-shape and an egg is extruded. The egg is transferred to the upper side of the female and the undulation rolls it along between her side and the nest cavity roof. When the adhesive egg reaches the tail she presses it against the roof where it sticks. How the female transfers the egg from her papilla to her side is unknown and the question remains why this sideways process is used when other roof spawners simply turn upside down and deposit eggs directly. The process may serve to roll eggs into a vacant roof space, occupying the roof most efficiently. Eggs laid on top of others may not attach well or prevent proper development of the underlying eggs. Nest construction takes about 1-2 hours. Over 5000 eggs at various developmental stages from several females are found in a single nest. The male guards the eggs, removes dead ones, and keeps them free of silt and aerated until they hatch. Larvae are 5.0-6.0 mm long at hatching.

Importance

Bluntnose Minnows are used as bait fish in Canada, and in the U.S.A. where they have been raised in ponds for distribution as a forage fish for game species. This fish was placed in the "Not at Risk" category in 1998 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

Fathead Minnow / Tête-de-boule
Pimephales promelas Rafinesque, 1820

Taxonomy

Other common names include Northern Fathead Minnow, Blackhead Minnow and Tuffy Minnow.

Key Characters

This species is identified by having premaxillaries protractile (lip separated from the snout by a groove), no barbel, and uniquely in the this species and the Bluntnose Minnow the first, unbranched dorsal fin ray is short and separated by a membrane from the next, longer ray. It is separated from the Bluntnose Minnow by having scales in front of the dorsal fin much smaller and more crowded than flank scales, the back is flattened, the lateral line is incomplete to nearly complete, the mouth is at the tip of the body and a caudal fin base spot is faint to absent.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, rarely 8, anal branched rays 6, sometimes 7, pectoral rays 14-18 and pelvic rays 8-9. The short gill rakers number 13-16. Pharyngeal teeth 4-4, slightly hooked at the tip with elongate cutting surfaces. The gut is elongate with several loops. Scales in lateral series 39-56, lateral line pores usually ending before the dorsal fin origin. Large tubercles in males are found on the snout in 3 rows with 4-15 in the lower row, and with up to 11 tubercles on the lower jaws. There are also smaller tubercles on top of the head and as single rows on the pectoral rays. Males also develop a blue-black to grey, spongy, wrinkled pad on the back between the head and dorsal fin. Fin membranes swell. Females lack the pad and tubercles but their vent region is swollen and there is some swelling of fin membranes, particularly of the anal and pelvic fins near the vent.

Colour

The back and upper flank are dark olive-green to brown, silvery to golden flanks and a whitish belly. There is a mid-flank stripe. Breeding males darken, particularly the head and dorsal fin, and the stripe is not apparent. The body can be completely black with a white band at the head-body region and under the dorsal fin. This occurs only during aggression or sexual activity. The lateral banding enhances the robust appearance of fish which must maintain a territory over several weeks without much opportunity to feed. Weight loss is replaced by water to help maintain the image of a fat and vigorous male. Very frightened fishes blanch. Females are quite dowdy and lack the darker colouration of males. Peritoneum black. The Rosy-red Minnow with orange-red body and fins is an aquarium variety. Faber (1984c) illustrates a larva.

Size

Reaches 10.2 cm.

Distribution

Found from western New Brunswick through southwestern Québec, Ontario, southern and central Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia (introduced) and southern tributaries of Great Slave Lake, N.W.T. South in central regions of North America to Mexico.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian or possibly a Missourian refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992). The presence of this species in Gatineau Park may be from introductions (Rubec, 1975a).

Habitat

Fathead Minnows are found in ponds, small to large lakes, and slow-flowing brooks to large and turbid rivers. It is often found in ditches and other artificial habitats because of its tolerance of poor conditions. The bottom is mud, detritus or sand and little current. They tolerate turbidity, high temperatures, pH variations, salinity and low oxygen. Their preferred temperature is 29.0°C. Fatheads sharing a lake with pike show sheltering, dashing and freezing behaviours more often than fatheads from lakes without pike. They also show stronger fright responses to water which pike have lived in - a chemical response.

Age and Growth

Males grow faster and larger than females, typical of nest defending species. Life span is about 4 years with maturity attained as early as 1 year, rarely in the year of birth.

Food

Food is bottom sediment for its organic content including plant material, aquatic insects and zooplankton. It is an important food for many other fishes and aquatic birds.

Reproduction

Fathead males in the NCR have been caught with developing tubercles as early as 13 April and tubercles are fully developed through late May to June and into July or even early August. In late July and early August males begin to lose their tubercles and by early September only scars remain (Coad, 1987a). Spawning runs from April to August, once water temperatures reach 14°C and light-dark hours are 16-8. Males choose a spawning site under a log, rock, plant stems or even a lily pad or any solid artificial structure such as a plank in shallow water. Cavity spawning in mud-bottomed habitats prevents the eggs from being smothered as well as offering the relatively few eggs spawned from a small fish protection from predators. The male will clean out the cavity, spending up to 10 hours on the task, using his tubercles to scrape, pulling debris with his mouth and sweeping with his tail fin. The spongy pad on the back may serve to test spawning sites and eggs chemically. The pad secretes a mucus which is smeared on the spawning site perhaps to improve it for egg survival since mucus protects against disease and parasites. Diseased eggs are eaten by the male. The mucus may also serve to indicate ownership of a nest site. Spawning male fatheads lose their ability to produce alarm or fright chemicals on skin injury, otherwise the continual pad rubbing would disturb spawning activities by releasing alarm substance and scaring away females. Females may enter the spawning site casually, be chased there by a male or enticed by a face to face encounter and leading to the nest. He lifts and presses the female on her side between himself and the roof of the spawning site. Egg deposition is thought to use the same unusual mechanism as in the Bluntnose Minnow (q.v.). Males court females by swimming rapidly up to them and then freezing at 3-5 cm away, and by leading females with a zig-zag or straight-line motion from the female to the nest site. Males will also display to females by erecting their fins for 2-3 seconds and by jump-swims in which a male swims upwards to a female then rolls on his side and swims back down. Butting and lateral quivering also occur, perhaps attempts to assess spawning condition of the female. Males defend the eggs against other fishes including female fatheads using the snout tubercles to butt and tail swipes to intimidate by sending a pressure wave sensed by the lateral line system. Chasing and biting are common and 2 males may carousel (or circle head-to-tail) trying to contact each other. Leeches and turtles are also driven away. Some eggs are lost while the male is distracted chasing away predators. Repeat spawning may be necessary to replace lost eggs. Males also aerate and clean the eggs with fin movements. A nest will contain eggs in various stages of development as the male will spawn with several females. Females will deposit eggs in several nests. Orange, mature eggs are up to 1.6 mm in diameter with 12,000 or more per nest. A female will release up to 10,164 eggs in a season but from 9 to 1136 at a time. Spawning intervals are 2 to 16 days. Larvae are 4.0-5.0 mm long at hatching.

Importance

In the U.S.A. fatheads are raised as bait fish and as forage fish for introduction into bass fishing lakes. They are also used extensively as a laboratory animal for tests of toxic compounds. They have even been used to evaluate the biological effects of materials from the moon.

Longnose Dace / Naseux de rapides
Rhinichthys cataractae (Valenciennes, 1842)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Great Lakes Longnose Dace and Stream Shooter. This species was described from fish collected at Niagara Falls, hence "cataractae".

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by the premaxillaries not being protractile (no groove between the upper lip and snout), a barbel at each mouth corner and an elongate snout projecting beyond the ventral and u-shaped mouth.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, anal fin branched rays 6, pectoral rays 12-17 and pelvic rays 7-9. The pectoral fins are large, low on the body and splayed. They are larger in males than females, reaching back to the pelvic fins. Lateral line scales 55-76. There are 6-8 short gill rakers. Pharyngeal teeth hooked, 2,4-4,2, 1,4-4,1 or 1,4-4,0. Breeding males have nuptial tubercles on the top of the head, posterior scale edges, and on the pectoral, pelvic, anal and dorsal fins. These tubercles are found from mid-May to early September and are best developed earlier in the year.

Colour

The back is olive-green to brown, grey or black fading to a cream or whitish belly. The lower flank and belly may be golden. Some scales may be darkly pigmented and there may be a dark stripe in front of the eye. The lateral line is wholly or partially dark, or not dissimilar from the background, varying with locality. Overall body colour can vary from almost black to silvery. The origin of the dorsal fin and the upper origin of the caudal fin are white to cream. Fin rays are outlined by dark pigment. Young fish have a dark stripe on the head and body. Breeding males have orange-red mouth corners, cheeks, pectoral fin axils and on the pelvic fins and anterior anal fin base. Dorsal and caudal fin membranes dull to dark red. The back and upper flank are dark olive. Peritoneum silvery with brown spots.

Size

Reaches 17.8 cm.

Distribution

Found from Labrador and the upper St. Lawrence River basin north to Hudson Bay, west through the Great Lakes, to British Columbia and north in the Mackenzie River basin. Absent from northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northwestern Alberta and to the north. In the south it reaches Virginia east of the Appalachians, Iowa to the west and in a long western arm extends into Mexico.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian, Missourian or an Atlantic coastal refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

Longnose Dace are found in fast, clear streams with gravel, rock, and boulder beds, and in lakes with wave action. Their preferred temperature is 20.6°C but a wide range of temperature and turbidity is tolerated. It can live in very fast water by taking advantage of holes and crevices between rocks. The swimbladder does not grow with the fish so large specimens have relatively small swimbladders, are less buoyant and are able to hug the bottom. Fish which develop in still water have larger swimbladders than those in fast water. This affects the buoyancy range that can be adjusted in response to varying current speeds. Lake dwelling fish adjust their swimbladder volume in response to wave action. During the day this dace remains under stones, hiding from predators.

Age and Growth

Life span is 5 years with sexual maturity attained at 2 years, rarely at 1 year.

Food

Food is principally aquatic insects such as blackflies, caddisflies, midges and mayflies taken at night, an unusual feeding time for a Carp Family member. Some worms, terrestrial insects, crustaceans, molluscs and fish eggs are also eaten. Algae and diatoms may predominate in some populations during the summer. Smallmouth Bass and Brook Trout are predators of this dace, as are mudpuppies under the ice in Kemptville Creek (email from F. W. Schueler, 8 March 2003).

Reproduction

Spawning occurs from April to August at temperatures over 11°C over riffles, and sometimes over nests of other species. Females in the NCR have been caught on 15 May with eggs 1.5 mm in diameter at a water temperature of 17°C, close to spawning (McAllister and Coad, 1975). Males defend a territory up to 20 cm across and butt or bite intruders. When a female enters a male's territory he vibrates rapidly for 0.5-2.0 seconds at 0.75-1.0 second intervals and pushes his snout against rocks with his body sloping at 45-90°. The female responds by adopting the same angle. The two fish come together and push against the bottom, quiver for 1-2 seconds and release eggs and sperm. Eggs are adhesive, transparent, 1.7 mm in diameter and number up to 9953 per female. Young are pelagic and live near shore in slow or still waters for about 4 months before settling to the bottom.

Importance

Used as a bait fish in the U.S.A. for bass and catfish but not in Canada to any marked extent.

Creek Chub / Mulet à cornes
Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill, 1818)

Taxonomy

Other common names include Horned Dace, Common Chub, Brook Chub, Tommycod, Silvery Chub, Mud Chub and Blackspot Chub. Hybrids are formed with Common Shiners and Longnose Dace as well as other species not in the NCR.

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by having protractile premaxillae (a groove between the upper lip and the snout), a flat barbel in advance of the mouth corner in the groove above the upper lip, lateral line scales 47-66 (usually 52-63) and a black spot at the anterior dorsal fin base.

Description

The upper jaw extends back to a level with the front of the eye so the mouth is large. Short gill rakers number 9-11. Pharyngeal teeth 2,5-4,2, 2,4-5,2, 2,5-5,2 or 2,4-4,2 with a strongly hooked tip. Dorsal fin branched rays 7-8, usually 7, anal fin branched rays 6-8, pectoral rays 13-20 and pelvic rays 7-9. Breeding males have up to 12 very large tubercles in a line on each side of the head from in front of the lip to over the eye. Smaller tubercles are present on the sides of the head and in a single row on up to 8 pectoral fin rays. Tubercles may also be present on other fin rays. Posterior flank scales have tubercles lining their margins and tubercles extend along the upper, anterior caudal fin lobe margin.

Colour

The back is olive, sometimes with a steel-blue tinge, the flanks silvery and the belly silvery-white to white. Flanks have iridescent purplish or greenish tinges. Scales are outlined with pigment. Fin rays are edged with pigment. The dorsal and caudal fins are dusky. Young are more silvery but still retain an iridescent purplish tinge, have a flank stripe ending in a spot at the tail base, and a reddish tail fin (although not as bright red as small Hornyhead Chubs). Breeding males may have rosy, orange or yellow tints on the head, body and dorsal fin base. Lower fins are orange and the lateral head surface is blue. Peritoneum silvery with some speckling.

Size

Reaches 33.0 cm.

Distribution

Found from Nova Scotia westward through southern Québec and Ontario, including the Great Lakes and upper James Bay drainages, to southern Manitoba. Sporadic records in northern Québec. South to Gulf coast drainages and west to Montana in the U.S.A.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from a Mississippian, Missourian or an Atlantic coastal refugium (Mandrak and Crossman, 1992).

Habitat

The Creek Chub is very common in clear, smaller streams in pool areas but may also be found along lake shores. The bottom is usually boulders or gravel but may be mud-detritus.

Age and Growth

Life span is about 8 years with females maturing at age 2 and males at age 3. Males grew more rapidly than females in a study near Peterborough, Ontario.

Food

Food varies from plankton when young to aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish, frogs and small fishes, such as Johnny Darter and Brook Stickleback, and even berries as they grow larger. Some algae and higher plants may also be eaten. In a Québec lake, young fed on small adult flies and aquatic beetles during the day while adults were nocturnal and fed on larger prey, crustaceans and insect larvae. More benthic prey are available at night. Creek Chub are eaten by a wide variety of fish and birds.

Reproduction

Spawning occurs in April-July at about 12°C or higher near stream riffles. Their preferred temperature is 20.8°C. Males from the NCR caught on 15 May had tubercles but by 31 July only scars remained, indicating that the breeding season was over (McAllister and Coad, 1975). In the Mink River, Manitoba and near Peterborough, Ontario, most spawning occurs between the middle and the end of May. Males excavate a pit by violent body movements which dislodge smaller particles and by picking stones up in the mouth and dropping them upstream. This creates a pit which is continually filled in by the current covering and protecting the eggs. The pit is about 30 cm wide but can be more than 5 m long. Several males may collaborate on a single nest. A female approaches a male defending his nest and is tossed into an upright position by the male inserting his head and pectoral fin under her body. The male instantly embraces her in a horizontal curve in about a tenth of a second and about 50 eggs are shed into the gravel and fertilised. Tubercles help the male to grip the female. After this embrace, the female turns belly up as though stunned but soon swims off to spawn again in the same or other nests. A female continues spawning over several days until all eggs are shed. The male covers the eggs with gravel. A male may not lift a female up but instead press her to the bottom or against the pit side when eggs are released. Females have up to 7539 eggs of 1.7 mm diameter. Some males are "nest-watchers" who may spawn with a female while the dominant male is chasing away another rival. Fights appear to use the head tubercles as weapons although injuries have not been observed. Usually contending males parallel swim for several metres upstream from the nest, with fins erect, mouths open and tails beating slowly but strongly. Tail beats are meant to intimidate. Male Common Shiners often crowd around a Creek Chub nest involved in their own reproductive behaviour. They may even bump into the creek chub who will use his massive, tuberculate head to drive them away momentarily. Shiners and other fishes however can enter nest sites without eliciting a response from the chub unless he is spawning. All intrusions by other male chub result in aggression.

Importance

Creek Chub are used extensively in Canada as a bait fish and can be caught on a baited hook. They are good eating except for the nuisance of small bones.

Fallfish / Ouitouche
Semotilus corporalis (Mitchill, 1817)

Taxonomy

Other common names include American Chub, Silver Chub, Mohawk, White Chub, Roughnosed Chub, Windfish, Corporal, Chivin, Whiting, Roach Dace and Shining Dace.

Key Characters

This species is distinguished by having protractile premaxillae (a groove between the upper lip and the snout), a flat barbel in advance of the mouth corner in the groove above the upper lip, lateral line scales 43-50, no black spot at the dorsal fin base and each scale base is dark. The barbel may be absent on 1 or both sides in smaller fish.

Description

Dorsal fin branched rays 7, anal branched rays 6-8, usually 7, pectoral rays 15-19 and pelvic fin rays 7-9. Short gill rakers number 6-8. Pharyngeal teeth 2,5-4,2, 2,4-5,2 or 2,4-4,2. Males have small nuptial tubercles on the snout, over the eye, in a patch on the postero-ventral edge of the opercle and on the branchiostegal rays, fine tubercles on the opercular flap and on up to 9 pectoral fin rays.

Colour

The back is olive-brown to blackish, flanks are silvery, occasionally with purple to blue tinges, and the belly is white. There is a dark bar along the shoulder girdle at the edge of the gill opening. Scales above the lateral line are outlined with pigment. Young fish have a wide flank stripe running from behind the eye to the tail, ending in a spot at the tail base. Breeding males have a darkened back and pink opercles and pectoral fins. Peritoneum silvery with darker speckles.

Size

Reaches 51 cm and 1.7 kg. Bernatchez and Giroux (2000) report the world angling record as a 1.7 kg fish caught in in Maine in 1986. A 1.06 kg fish was caught in the York River, Ontario.

Distribution

Found from New Brunswick to southern James Bay drainages of Québec and Ontario south to Lake Erie through eastern Ontario and east of the Appalachian Mountains to Virginia.

Origin

This species entered the NCR from an Atlantic coastal refugium.

Habitat

Fallfish live in clear streams and rivers with gravel or rock bottoms, and less frequently in lakes. They are found at the base of falls or rapids and in slower water.

Age and Growth

Life span is estimated to be 10 years. Males grow faster than females after age 4. Males mostly mature at age 3 and females at age 4.

Food

Food includes aquatic insects, terrestrial insects taken at the water surface, crustaceans and fishes. Kingfishers and mergansers are known to eat them.

Reproduction

Spawning takes place in May in eastern Québec at 16.6°C. Post-spawning males with tubercles scars have been caught in the NCR on 13 July. Males begin nest building at 12°C, carrying stones by mouth. Nests can be 92 cm high and 183 cm across and are elongate in flowing water or domed in quiet water. A nest can weigh up to 81.8 kg. Nests can be in midstream or at stream edges protected by overhanging vegetation. Common shiners may use the nest and hybrids result. Eggs are adhesive after shedding and 2.7 mm in diameter, and are covered with gravel by the male after deposition. A female may have up to 12,321 eggs. This species is unusual among its relatives because communal spawning occurs. Several fish of both sexes are found over nests. Males establish a hierarchy among themselves by parallel swimming, lateral displays, head butting and tail biting. Other fish species are tolerated. A dominant male starts the communal spawning by swimming to the nest with a stone in his mouth and dropping it, or by "rushing" onto the nest from downstream. Other Fallfish are stimulated to rush onto the nest and spawn. There is no clasping of the female as eggs and sperm are shed into the gravel. Other male Fallfish often break up the dominant male spawning couple. Communal spawning enables many males to fertilise eggs without having to construct nests.

Importance

Fallfish can be caught by fly fishing and give good sport but are a nuisance to anglers trying for trout. They may be caught on worms, grasshoppers or dough as well as on flies meant for trout and are good eating.

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© Brian W. Coad (www.briancoad.com)