The Cahaba shiner (''Notropis cahabae'') is a rare species of

cyprinid Cyprinidae is a family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family. It includes the carps, the true minnows, and relatives like the barbs and barbels. Cyprinidae is the largest and most diverse fish family and the largest verte ...

fish. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

in the United States, where it is limited to the

Cahaba River The Cahaba River is the longest substantially free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. It is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River basin. ...

. It is a federally listed

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of the United States. This fish was first described in 1989.Mayden, Richard L. and Kuhajda, Bernard R.. (November 1989)
Systematics of ''Notropis cahabae'', a new cyprinid fish endemic to the Cahaba River of the Mobile Basin''Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History''
9 1-16. It is similar to its close relative, the

Mimic Shiner The mimic shiner (''Notropis volucellus') is a species of North American cyprinid freshwater fish in the genus ''Notropis''. The genus ''Notropis'' is commonly known as the eastern shiners. It is native to areas of the Hudson Bay drainage, Great L ...

(''Notropis volucellus'').

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

Endangered status determined for the fish ''Notropis cahabae'' (Cahaba Shiner).
''Federal Register'' October 25, 1990. The Cahaba Shiner is about 2.5 inches long (6.35 centimeters). It is silver in color with a dark lateral stripe and a peach-colored lateral stripe above.

''Notropis cahabae'' Recovery Plan.
April 1992. This fish has been collected from about 76 miles of the Cahaba River, but as of the early 1990s its range had been reduced to about 60 miles of the river. Most individuals of the species are located in a 15-mile stretch of the waterway. It may have once occurred in the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 ...

, but if so, it has been

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

from there. The reduction in range has been caused by the degradation of water quality in the river system, the result of urbanization and sedimentation.

References

External links

* * cahabae Endemic fauna of Alabama Fish described in 1989 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot ESA endangered species {{Notropis-stub