Chordates • Earth.com

Spottail shiner

(Notropis hudsonius)

galery

Description

The spottail shiner or spottail minnow (Notropis hudsonius) is a small- to medium-sized freshwater minnow. It can be found as far north as Canada and as far south as the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. These shiners live in lakes, rivers, and creeks. They occupy the rocky or sandy shorelines and bottoms of the water. One of the defining features of a spottail shiner is the black spot found at the base of the caudal fin. These shiners generally spawn from late June through July. Spottail shiners are typically small to medium-sized minnows. The average size ranges from around 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm). They can reach up to 6 inches (15 cm) at their maximum length. They have a slightly elongate, compressed body with a horizontal, sub-terminal mouth. The defining feature of a spottail shiner is the distinct black spot at the base of the caudal fin. The lower edge of the caudal fin can be white in color with all of the other fins lacking pigment. The dorsal fin sits directly above the pelvic fins. The dorsal side of this shiner can range from a silvery to pale green or olive color, whereas the ventral side is white. The spottail shiner has a complete lateral line running horizontally along its sides. Notropis species mainly live in streams and rivers but can be found in larger lakes. They can be found 3 to 60 feet (0.91 to 18.29 m) deep, on substrates of sand and gravel. The spottail shiner is one of more common species of the genus Notropis. Spottail shiners are native to Canada and the United States. They are found in the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Chattahoochee River and Altamaha River in Georgia, the Mackenzie River basin in Canada, Ohio Illinois, the Hudson Bay, some lakes throughout Montana, and the Great Lakes. They can also be found in some lakes in the upper northeast region of the United States. These spottail shiners seem to have only occupied the areas of Canada and United States that they are currently distributed today, with the exception of Montana. It seems that the shiners have been introduced in lakes through Montana in order to become bait for some of the larger gaming fish such as the walleye. Spottail shiners are generally omnivorous fish that feed on plants, aquatic invertebrate, and zoobenthos. Zoobenthos are the invertebrates that occupy the benthos of the riverbeds and lakebeds.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:
Class: Actinopterygii
Order:Cypriniformes
Family:Cyprinidae
Genus:Notropis
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