Rhinichthys cataractae

Longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) have the widest geographic distribution of any member of the Cyprinidae family (Jenkins and Burkhead, 1994). The distribution spans much of North America, ranging from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific Ocean and from northern Mexico to the Arctic Circle in northern Canada.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced , Native )

Global Range: Widest range of any North American minnow; generally distributed north of 40 degrees north latitude from coast to coast; north to the Arctic Circle in the Mackenzie River drainage; south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia, south through the Rocky Mountains into the Rio Grande drainage of Texas and northern Mexico, and south along the Atlantic coast to Virginia; common in northern U.S., fairly common in west but absent from Alaska and from western drainages south of the Columbia and Coos river drainages (Page and Burr 1991). Subspecies cataractae: east of the Continental Divide. Subspecies dulcis: Pacific basin. Subspecies SMITHI: formerly in hot springs in Banff National Park, Alberta.

North America: widely occurs from coast to coast of north-central North America: in the east along the mountains to Virginia; in the Mississippi drainage south to Iowa; in the western basin south to northern Mexico; reported from northeastern Nevada; in the inshore waters in all the Great Lakes (Ref. 1998).

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Absent

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Occurred only in springs at Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

North America; including northern Mexico.

Inhabit rubble and gravel riffles (sometimes runs and pools) of fast creeks and small to medium rivers; also in rocky shores of lakes (Ref. 5723). Young up to 4 months are pelagic (Ref. 1998). Form schools (Ref. 1998). Feed on mayflies, blackflies, and midges (Ref. 1998). Spawn over pits in loose gravel substrate (Ref. 51972). Widely used as bait in the USA (Ref. 1998). Artificially propagated in Minnesota, USA in long narrow ponds having weak water flow (Ref. 1998).

Vertebrae: 40 - 42

Longnose dace are typically dark olive-brown with a lighter yellow-tan venter (Page and Burr, 1991). A dark lateral stripe, present in juveniles, fades as the fish matures. This is a good distinguishing characteristic between longnose dace and their close relatives, blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), which maintain their dark lateral stripe throughout their lifetime (Page and Burr, 1991). Other identifying characteristics include a sub-terminal mouth with a fleshy snout projecting far beyond the mouth. A small barbel is also present near the corner of the mouth (Goldstein and Simon, 1999). Total length is largely based on local habitat conditions; adults are usually 60 to 90 mm in length (Sigler and Miller, 1963) and reported maximum sizes are around 160 mm for stream dwelling individuals, slightly larger for lake-dwelling longnose dace (Page and Burr, 1991; Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). Longnose dace have been reported to get up to 225 mm in total length (Gerald 1966).

Range length: 60 to 225 mm.

Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

Maximum size: 178 mm TL

22.5 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 51971)); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 12193)

Length: 8 cm

Absence of a groove between the upper lip and tip of snout. Barbel present. Snout long and overhanging.

demersal; freshwater; pH range: 7.0; dH range: 10 - 15

Populations of longnose dace use different niches based on local habitat conditions. Different habitat availability as well as the presence or absence of competing species drives populations into different patterns of niche use. Longnose dace are found in fast-flowing, cold water. Most populations are found in stream riffles. When in lakes, they are typically in the turbulent surge zone less than 10 m deep, where outflow from a river mixes with lake water (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). Another characteristic of longnose dace habitat is rocky or gravel substrate (McPhail and Lindsey, 1970; Cooper, 1980). Brazo et al. (1978) reported similar substrate preferences in lake-dwelling populations, where longnose dace prefer gravel substrates over sandy habitats. Streams they inhabit tend to be small creeks and rivers with shallow pools as well as an abundance of fast-flowing riffles; similar to "trout streams" (Reed, 1959). Young longnose dace are found in shallow pools for the first four months following hatching (Reed 1959). Pools are also used by adults in the absence of competing species (Edwards, Li, and Schreck, 1983).

Range depth: <1 to 10 m.

Average depth: <1 m.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: benthic ; lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Depth range based on 230 specimens in 2 taxa.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0.075 - 7.5

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0.075 - 7.5
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Comments: Characteristic of clean, swiftly flowing, gravel or bouldery creeks and small to medium rivers; also in inshore waters of lakes over gravel or boulder bottoms. May move offshore to deeper water in summer in warm lakes. Rests under stones when inactive. Spawns probably in riffles over a gravelly bottom, sometimes over or near river chub nests. Also spawns in shallow, pebble-bottomed, wave-swept shorelines of lakes. Fry occupy quiet shallow protected margins of streams, move into swift water within 6 weeks.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Inhabit very turbulent waters; also occur inshore waters of lakes; in warm lakes, may move offshore into deep water during the heat of summer; may eat fish eggs (Ref 1998). Young up to 4 months are pelagic (Ref. 1998). Form schools (Ref. 1998). Insectivorous (Ref. 10294, 54729). Feed on mayflies, blackflies, and midges (Ref. 1998, 10294).

Longnose dace are primarily nocturnal feeders (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). This nocturnal foraging strategy is different from most cyprinids, but Rhinichthys cataractae is well adapted for this method (Beers and Culp, 1990). Longnose dace have dark-adapted vision for night foraging. Beers and Culp (1990) studied how changes in light intensity changed foraging efficiency when predators were removed. All factors indicative of foraging ability were greatest under low light conditions, such as around dusk. However, most foraging occurs at night where they are slightly less efficient. Therefore, this nocturnal strategy is thought to be a combination of minimizing predation risks while still increasing efficiency in low-light conditions (Beers and Culp, 1990).

Longnose dace are well adapted for feeding on bottom dwelling insects (Gerald, 1966). At night, they use benthic-rooting behavior; it is thought they locate prey by olfaction using their barbels to probe into the substrate (Beers and Culp, 1990). Brazo et al. (1978) determined through stomach analysis that longnose dace depend primarily on invertebrates as their primary food source. As in previous studies, their invertebrate diet consisted of midges, black flies, and mayflies (Reed 1959) as well as leaf hoppers, aphids, and small cicadas. Small, juvenile longnose dace feed primarily on algae and diatoms until they were large enough to consume the same diets as adults. Larger adults shifted their diet toward larger terrestrial insects as well as fish eggs from other Cyprinidae (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978).

Animal Foods: fish; eggs; insects; zooplankton

Plant Foods: algae; phytoplankton

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

Comments: Eats mainly benthic insects, especially Diptera and mayflies (Becker 1983, Scott and Crossman 1973); also eats algae and plant material (Sublette et al. 1990). Terrestrial insects and fish egs common in diet of adults from Lake Michigan (see Sublette et al. 1990).

Rhinichthys cataractae is a wide-ranging freshwater minnow that is an important part of the food chain in many stream habitats. One of the important functions these fish provide are consuming terrestrial insects, bringing them into the aquatic food chain. Longnose dace are a potential prey species to predatory stream fishes including many salmonid species. This is especially believed to occur when alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) undergo substantial population crashes (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978).

Longnose dace are also hosts to 13 parasitic species, including individuals from 6 larger taxonomic groups: 1 monogenean fluke, 2 flukes, 2 cestode species, 4 nematodes, 1 spiny-headed worm, and 3 protozoan species) (Muzzall, Whelan, and Taylor, 1992).

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

• monogenean flukes (Monogenea)
• flukes (Digenea)
• cestode species (Cestoda)
• nematodes (Nematoda)
• spiny-headed worms (Acanthocephala)
• protozoan species (Protozoa)

Longnose dace are potential prey species for fish-eating birds, such as herons, and predatory stream fishes including many salmonid species (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978).

Known Predators:

• herons (Ardeidae)
• salmonids (Salmonidae)

Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic

Rhinichthys cataractae (Long-nose Dace (N=2)) preys on:
Terrestrial invertebrates
Baetis
Conchapelopia
Dicrotendipes
Ectopria nervosa
Endochironomus
Eukiefferiella pseudomontana
Eukiefferiella dark type
Metriocnemus
Paranyctiophylax
Stempelinella
Cernotina
Eukiefferiella II
Eukiefferiella naonella type
Hydropyschidae
Paralauterborniella
Simulium
Stempellinella
Tanytarsini Genus A

Based on studies in:
USA: Maine, Martins (River)
USA: Maine, Troy (River)

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

Home range averaged less than 14 m of stream length in North Carolina (Hill and Grossman 1987).

Detailed information on Rhinichthys cataractae communication and perception is not available.

Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical

Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic ; vibrations

Comments: Study in southern Alberta found that foraging occurs at night (Culp 1989).

Ovarian development probably of the group-synchronous type. Fecundity is determinate based on release of great majority of oocytes in a given spawning season, few signs of atretic oocytes and oocyte diameter distribution points to lack of substantial production of new oocytes (Ref. 51971).Spawn on rock and gravel. Larvae benthic (Ref. 7471). According to a study (Ref. 10280), although no nest is built, a territory is established and one parent guards the nest. In Manitoba, females lay 200-1200 transparent eggs hatching in 7-10 days at 15.6°C. Young are pelagic and inhabit quiet waters inshore; pelagic stage lasts 4 months before typical bottom dwelling existence of adults commence (Ref 1998). Spawn in riffles over gravelly bottom near nest of river chub.

After fertilization, eggs develop for 3 to 4 days before hatching into protolarva. During this time, the head and tail separate from the yolk sac and the circulatory system begins to develop, as does the spinal cord. Pelagic protolarvae continue to develop, pigmentation begins, and early fin development occurs. By the 9th day after hatching, the sac is absorbed and the larvae are now considered mesolarvae. Fin rays become more defined and pigmentation continues to accumulate. As Rhinichthys cataractae metalarvae develop into juveniles, fin buds develop, the fish takes on the morphology of a juvenile (including an elongated fleshy snout), and pigmentation accumulation is completed (Fuiman and Loos, 1977; Cooper, 1980).

Juvenile longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) continue to grow and develop in streams. Most longnose dace mature at age 2. A small percentage of adults are mature at age 1. This percentage increases slightly in lake-dwelling populations, where growth and maturation is accelerated (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). Age 1 spawners are predominantly males, indicating possible shorter maturation times for males than females (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). Mature individuals, both male and female, are approximately 75 mm in total length at the time of maturation (Roberts and Grossman, 2001). Females generally become the dominant sex and typically grow larger than males by age 3 (Gerald, 1966).

Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis ; indeterminate growth

Longnose dace have a maximum reported lifespan of 5 years, but lifespan is typically only 3 years for male individuals (Reed and Moulton, 1973; Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978).

Range lifespan
Status: wild: 3 to 5 years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 3 years.

Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 3 for males, 4 to 5 for females years.

Average lifespan
Status: wild: 3 years.

Adult longnose dace are polygynandrous (promiscuous) because both mature males and females have multiple spawning partners. Males are territorial and breed with many females who visit their habitat (Bartnik, 1970). Female longnose dace are capable of spawning 6 or more times during their breeding season and will breed with multiple males during this time (Roberts and Grossman, 2001).

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Some longnose dace are capable of reproducing at age 1, all are mature by age 2 (Roberts and Grossman, 2001; Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). Mature individuals, both male and female, are approximately 75 mm in total length. While spawning typically occurs only in one year, females are capable of producing 6 or more clutches per year. Total potential fecundity ranged from 1155 to 2534 eggs for females in stream dwelling populations (Roberts and Grossman, 2001) and from 870 to 9,953 eggs per female in Lake Michigan populations (Brazo et al., 1978). Longnose dace larvae hatched 3 to 4 days after fertilization occurred; with an mean length of 5.9 mm (Fuiman and Loos, 1977; Cooper, 1980). Information on mass at the time of hatching was not available.  Spawning typically occurs in summer but timing is dependent on latitude and water temperature (Edwards, Li, and Schreck, 1983). Typical spawning season takes place in late June and early July (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978) but occurs as early as late May (Reed, 1959) and as late as August (McPhail and Lindsey 1970). Peak spawning typically occurs at water temperatures between 14° and 19° C (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978).

Breeding interval: Female longnose dace are capable of having 6 or more clutches per year but typically only spawn for 1 season.

Breeding season: Longnose dace reproduce between May and July.

Range number of offspring: 1155 to 2534.

Average number of offspring: 1832.

Range time to hatching: 3 to 4 days.

Range time to independence: 3 to 4 days.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 to 2 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 years.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 to 2 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 years.

Key Reproductive Features: semelparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); oviparous

In stream and lake-dwelling populations, spawning occurs over gravel. Male longnose dace construct a small nest in the pebbles where eggs are deposited (McPhail and Lindsey, 1970). Males are territorial and defend their spawning habitat, which is visited by multiple females (Brazo, Liston, and Anderson, 1978). After spawning, little or no parental care is given the eggs. They are are categorized as benthic spawners who broadcast their eggs over gravel. The eggs are not hidden (Helfman, Collette, and Facey, 1997). Embryos temporarily adhere to the gravel for 7 to 10 days and then the hatched fry become pelagic (McPhail and Lindsey, 1970; Cooper, 1980).

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Male)

Spawns in spring and summer. Eggs hatch in about 7-10 days at 15.6 C. Sexually mature generally at age II (Becker 1983, Scott and Crossman 1973). Maximum lifespan 5 years.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 53
Specimens with Barcodes: 88
Species With Barcodes: 1

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 39 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) are not listed as a species of special concern, endangered, threatened, or regionally extirpated in any of the following conservation lists: IUCN Red List, CITES appendices, or the United States Endangered Species Act.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NX - Presumed Extirpated

Rounded Global Status Rank: TX - Presumed Extinct

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Comments: See Lanteigne (1988) for discussion of extinction of subspecies smithi due to introgressive hybridization with subspecies cataractae (marsh created by Cave and Basin Hotsprings, 1.7 km SW Banff, Alberta, Canada); initial decline of smithi is attributed to introductions of non-native fishes, periodic cessation of spring flow related to public use of hot springs, and periodic spillage of sewage from the public facilities (Miller et al. 1989).

Not Evaluated

Comments: See Lanteigne (1988) for discussion of extinction of subspecies SMITHI due to introgressive hybridization with subspecies CATARACTAE (marsh created by Cave and Basin Hotsprings, 1.7 km SW Banff, Alberta, Canada); initial decline of SMITHI is attributed to introductions of non-native fishes, periodic cessation of spring flow related to public use of hot springs, and periodic spillage of sewage from the public facilities (Miller et al. 1989).

aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial; bait: usually

There are no known negative affects of Rhinichthys cataractae on humans.

Direct anthropogenic interactions are minimal with longnose dace, but in some areas they are used as bait for fishing (Scott and Crossman, 1998).

Positive Impacts: research and education