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Coccotis zonistius

(Jordan, 1880)

Bandfin Shiner

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106336
Element CodeAFCJB51090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusCoccotis
Synonyms
Luxilus zonistiusJordan, 1880Notropis zonistius(Jordan, 1880)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Based on phylogenomic analyses, Stout et al. (2022) resurrect the genus Coccotis Jordan, 1882 for this species. This generic change is accepted by Page et al. 2023.

Removed from genus Notropis and placed in genus (formerly subgenus) Luxilus by Mayden (1989) and Coburn and Cavender (1992); this change was adopted in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991). See Dowling et al. (1992) for information on evolutionary relationships among Luxilus shiners based on mtDNA data. See Powers and Gold (1992) for information on phylogenetic relationships among Luxilus shiners based on an analysis of chromosomal NOR variation.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-12-03
Change Date1997-09-26
Edition Date2025-12-03
Edition AuthorsClausen, M. K. (1997); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
This species has a limited range in streams in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. It is considered fairly common. Threats include habitat degradation related to riparian forest loss.
Range Extent Comments
This species is primarily found in the Chattahoochee River system of the Apalachicola River drainage in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is also found in adjacent tributaries of the upper Savannah River (Georgia), the Altamaha River (Georgia), the Coosa River (Georgia), and the Tallapoosa River (Georgia and Alabama) (Page and Burr 1991). Some authors consider the presence in the Coosa and Tallapoosa river systems to be introductions (Boschung and Mayden 2004), but there is evidence this may have been a natural expansion through a past stream capture (Jarrett et al. 2017). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 68,825 km² (RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
TNHC (1996) mapped 39 collection sites. Boschung and Mayden (2004) mapped 50 collection locations in Alabama. Estimated 100+ sites rangewide; widespread and not rare (C. Gilbert, pers. comm., 1997). Applying a 10 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 42 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Loss of riparian forest has been shown to interrupt food webs and degrade aquatic habitat quality along tributaries of the Chattahoochee River and the Tallapoosa River (England and Rosemond 2004, Helms and Feminella 2005, Saalfeld et al. 2012).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Usually in pools near riffles in clear creeks and small rivers with rubble-gravel or sand-gravel substrate and no aquatic vegetation.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaS3Yes
FloridaS1Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areasRestricted (11-30%)Moderate - slightHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber cropsLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (1)
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
References (28)
  1. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  2. Coburn, M. M., and T. M. Cavender. 1992. Interrelationships of North American cyprinid fishes. Pages 328-373 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  3. Dowling, T.E., W.R. Hoeh, G.R. Smith and W.M. Brown. 1992a. Evolutionary relationships of shiners in the genus <i>Luxilus</i> (Cyprinidae) as determined by analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Copeia 1992:306-322.
  4. England, L. E., and A. D. Rosemond. 2004. Small reductions in forest cover weaken terrestrial aquatic linkages in headwater streams. Freshwater Biology 49: 721–734.
  5. Freeman, B. J. (Institute of Ecology and Museum of Natural History, University of Georgia). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC.
  6. Freeman, M. C., E. R. Irwin, N. M. Burkhead, B. J. Freeman, and H. L. Bart, Jr. 2005. Status and conservation of the fish fauna of the Alabama River system. American Fisheries Society Symposium 45:557-585.
  7. Fricke, R., Eschmeyer, W. N. and R. van der Laan (eds). 2023. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: genera, species, references.(http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp). Electronic version 2023.
  8. Gilbert, C. Professor of Biology, Department of Natural Science, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Museum Road, Gainesville, FL. Personal communication.
  9. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  10. Hoehn, Theodore S. and D. Gray Bass (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)). 2000a. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  11. Jarrett, A., W. Stiles, A. Janosik, R. Blanton, and C. Johnston. 2017. Evidence of stream capture from the Tallapoosa River drainage by a Chattahoochee River tributary based on fish distributions. Southeastern Naturalist 16(1): 117-126. doi: 10.1656/058.016.0109
  12. Johnston, C. E., and M. J. Maceina. 2009. Fish assemblage shifts and species declines in Alabama, USA streams. Ecology of Freshwater Fish 18: 33–40.
  13. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  14. Mayden, R. L. 1989. Phylogenetic studies of North American minnows, with emphasis on the genus <i>Cyprinella</i> (Teleostei: Cypriniformes). University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication (80):1-189.
  15. Mettee, M. F., P. E. O'Neil, and J. M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama. 820 pp.
  16. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  17. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  18. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  19. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  20. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  21. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  22. Powers, P. K., and J. R. Gold. 1992. Cytogenetic studies in North American minnows (Cyprinidae): XX. Chromosomal NOR variation in the genus <i>Luxilus</i>. Copeia 1992:332-343.
  23. Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
  24. Saalfeld, D. T., E. M. Reutebuch, R. J. Dickey, W. C. Seesock, C. Webber, and D. R. Bayne. 2012. Effects of landscape characteristics on water quality and fish assemblages in the Tallapoosa River basin, Alabama. Southeastern Naturalist 11(2): 239-252. doi: 10.1656/058.011.0206
  25. State Natural Heritage Data Centers. 1996a. Aggregated element occurrence data from all U.S. state natural heritage programs, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, Navajo Nation and the District of Columbia. Science Division, The Nature Conservancy.
  26. Stout, C., S. Schonhuth, R, Mayden, N.L. Garrison, and J.W. Armbruster. 2022. Phylogenomics and classification of <i>Notropis</i> and related shiners (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae) and the utility of exon capture on lower taxonomic groups. PeerJ, 10, p.e14072.
  27. Straight, C.A., B. Albanese, and B.J. Freeman. [Internet]. [updated 2009 March 25]. Fishes of Georgia Website, Georgia Museum of Natural History; Accessed May 2010. Online. Available from: http://fishesofgeorgia.uga.edu
  28. Texas Natural History Collections [University of Texas at Austin]. 1997. February 7-last update. North American Freshwater Fishes Index (Images, Maps and Information). Online. Available: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/tnhc/www.fish.tnhc/na/naindex.ht ml. Accessed 1997, April 4.