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Cyprinella spiloptera

(Cope, 1867)

Spotfin Shiner

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105334
Element CodeAFCJB49190
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusCyprinella
Synonyms
Notropis spilopterus(Cope, 1867)
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
Removed from genus Notropis and placed in genus (formerly subgenus) Cyprinella by Mayden (1989); this change was adopted in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991). Geographic variation was summarized by Schaefer and Cavender (1986), who rejected the two subspecies recognized by Gibbs (1957). Hybridization with the red shiner (C. lutrensis) in Illinois resulted in a rapid dilution of the spiloptera gene pool (Page and Smith 1970).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-18
Edition Date2011-11-17
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the Atlantic Slope of North America from the St. Lawrence River drainage, Quebec, to the Potomac River drainage, Virginia; Great Lakes (except Lake Superior), Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from Ontario and New York to southeastern North Dakota and south to eastern Oklahoma and northern Alabama, with isolated populations in the Ozark region (Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes moderate to large streams and rivers of low to high turbidity, with bottom of sand, gravel, mud or rubble (Lee et al. 1980). Sometimes this species occurs in lakes and sloughs (Becker 1983). Most frequently it occurs in large creeks and small rivers with clear permanent flow; not typically in larger turbid rivers or intermittent creeks; usually it is in or near riffles or raceways over gravel in moderate to fast current (Mayden 1989). Spawning occurs in rock crevices, on logs having loose bark or crevices, or on underside of submerged logs or roots (Becker 1983, Scott and Crossman 1973), near riffles in swift current (Mayden 1989).

Reproduction

Spawns in late spring and summer. Eggs hatch in about 5 days. Both sexes sexually mature at age 1 but may not spawn until age 2 (Becker 1983). Most live only 2+ years; some reach 5 years. Produces sounds that may function in spawning activity and/or species recognition.
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
ManitobaS4Yes
QuebecS4Yes
OntarioS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
District of ColumbiaS4Yes
OhioS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
KentuckyS4Yes
IndianaS5Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
IowaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
DelawareS3Yes
New JerseyS4Yes
VermontS3Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
MichiganS4Yes
ArkansasS1Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
MarylandS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
AlabamaS5Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
OklahomaS1Yes
KansasS1Yes
MississippiS3Yes
New YorkS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
IllinoisS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (3)
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dry ForkMonongahela National Forest657
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
References (43)
  1. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
  2. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  3. Burr, B. M., and M. L. Warren, Jr. 1986a. Distributional atlas of Kentucky fishes. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Scientific and Technical Series No. 4, Frankfort, Kentucky. 398 pp.
  4. Burr, Brooks M. (Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University) and Donovan B. Henry. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
  5. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  6. Cox, Kenneth M. (District Fisheries Biologist, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  7. Cross, F. B., and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas. Second Edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. xvii + 315 pp.
  8. Daniels, Robert (Biological Survey, New York State Museum). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
  9. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  10. Fago, D. 2000. Relative abundance and distribution of fishes in Wisconsin. Fish Distribution Database to year 2000. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
  11. Gale, W.F. and C.A. Gale. 1977. Spawning habits of spotfin shiner, NOTROPIS SPILOPTERUS--a fractional, crevice spawner. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 106(2): 170-177.
  12. Gibbs, R. H. Jr. 1957b. Cyprinid fishes of the subgenus <i>Cyprinella</i> of <i>Notropis</i> II. Distribution and variation of <i>Notropis spilopterus</i>, with the description of a new subspecies. Lloydia 20(3):186-211.
  13. Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.
  14. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  15. Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  16. 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.
  17. Matthews, William J. (Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
  18. 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.
  19. McIninch, Stephen P. (Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2001.
  20. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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.
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  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  29. Raesly, Richard L. (Frostburg State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  30. 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.
  31. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  32. Ross, S. T., and W. M. Brenneman. 1991. Distribution of freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. D-J Project Completion Report F-69. Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Parks. Jackson, Mississippi. 548 pp.
  33. Schaefer, S. A., and T. M. Cavender. 1986. Geographic variation and subspecific status of NOTROPIS SPILOPTERUS (Pisces: Cyprinidae). Copeia 1986:122-140.
  34. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
  35. Shute, Peggy (Aquatic Zoologist, Tennessee Valley Authority Regional Heritage). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. February 2000.
  36. Skelton, Christopher E. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Natural Heritage Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  37. Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
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