The southern redbelly dace (''Chrosomus erythrogaster''), is a North American species of

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

freshwater

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

of the family Cyprinidae. The natural geographic range extends from

Western New York Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, and south to Oklahoma,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, and

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

.Page, Lawrence M. and Brooks M. Burr (1991), ''Freshwater Fishes'', p. 84, Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. This fish prefers flowing pools of creeks and streams. The extremely similar

northern redbelly dace The northern redbelly dace (''Chrosomus eos'') is a fresh water Cyprinidae, cyprinid fish, generally found in lakes and small streams in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada. Ranging from 1-3 inches, it is one of forty-four species f ...

can be distinguished by a rounder, blunter head and a more upturned mouth, as well as by differences in spawning behavior. Also, male southern redbelly dace show a characteristic red belly in spring while their northern counterparts keep a white belly.Richard H. Stasiak (2007), "Southern Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster): a technical conservation assessment", p. 11, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Available: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/ projects/scp/assessments/southernredbellydace.pdf

Description

Maximum length is reported as 9.1 cm TL, but average length is typically 5.8 cm TL.D.O. Hugg (1996), "MAPFISH georeferenced mapping database. Freshwater and estuarine fishes of North America" 1278 Turkey Point Road, Edgewater, Maryland, USA. The fish live a few years, the maximum reported at 3. These dace have horizontal black stripes and a silvery area above the black stripe. Males have red or yellow stripes below the main black stripe that are especially evident during breeding season. The southern redbelly dace has two sets of paired fins located distal to the operculum, the pectoral and ventral fins. These are followed distally by the anal fin and caudal fin. All fins are yellow, with the dorsal and caudal fins having a red base at their proximal connection. The caudal fin has a notched shape with two points. The rays in the fins are soft and are called "soft rays." Their fusiform body shape is efficient for swimming through moving waters.

Distribution and habitat

The southern redbelly dace can be found as far west as Colorado and as far east as Pennsylvania.There are populations throughout the midwest from southern Minnesota to Alabama and Mississippi. However, the southern redbelly dace is most populous around the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri River drainages. It is found in temperate waters from 44°N - 34°N. The southern redbelly dace lives in clear, flowing bodies of water, typically streams and rivers.

Feeding

Southern redbelly daces have a varied diet, including algae, diatoms, and invertebrates. They feed on almost any type of particle in the water for nutrition. More generally, their diet is described as one of "vegetation and invertebrates."

Conservation status

This organism is found in healthy numbers throughout the US, however, isolated populations in Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have become critically imperiled due to isolation. It is not listed on the IUCN red list.

Environmental significance

The southern redbelly dace is an important environmental indicator of river and stream health. This is because the minnow prefers clear unpolluted waters. They use their vision to find food, so a habitat of clear water is necessary.

References