Species: Rhinichthys cataractae
Longnose Dace
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Cypriniformes
Family
Cyprinidae
Genus
Rhinichthys
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
naseux des rapides
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Fishes - Bony Fishes - Minnows and Carps
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Actinopterygii - Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae - Rhinichthys - Three subspecies (CATARACTAE, DULCIS, and SMITHI) have been described; other populations probably deserve taxonomic recognition (Page and Burr 1991). Hybridizes with RHINICHTHYES OSCULUS, GILA PANDORA, and CAMPOSTOMA ANOMALUM (Sublette et al. 1990).
Ecology and Life History
Habitat Type Description
Freshwater
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food 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).
Reproduction Comments
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.
Ecology Comments
Home range averaged less than 14 m of stream length in North Carolina (Hill and Grossman 1987).
Length
8
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1996-09-17
Global Status Last Changed
1996-09-17
Other Status
PS
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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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 <i>cataractae</i>: east of the Continental Divide. Subspecies <i>dulcis</i>: Pacific basin. Subspecies SMITHI: formerly in hot springs in Banff National Park, Alberta.