Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Quillback

Carpiodes cyprinus

(Lesueur, 1817)

Quillback

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106516
Element CodeAFCJC01020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyCatostomidae
GenusCarpiodes
Other Common Names
Couette (FR)
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
This species is in need of further study of the geographic variation and subspecies taxonomy. Several subspecies have been previously recognized, including cyprinus, forbesi, and hinei (Robison and Buchanan 2020, Rohde et al. 2009).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-10-08
Change Date1996-09-18
Edition Date2025-10-08
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2011); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
This species is widespread across the U.S. and Canada. Little is known about the status of the population. No major threats are known.
Range Extent Comments
The range includes the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to Alberta and south to Louisiana, west to Wyoming; Atlantic Slope drainages from the Delaware River, New York, to the Savannah River, Georgia (absent from several drainages); Gulf Slope drainages from the Apalachicola River, Florida and Georgia, to the Pearl River, Louisiana (Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This fish inhabits pools, backwaters, and main channels of clear to turbid waters of creeks, small to large rivers, and lakes (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). It spawns over sand and mud bottoms in quiet waters of streams or overflow areas in bends of rivers or bays of lakes (Scott and Crossman 1973).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring and summer. In Manitoba, probably an annual spawner; spawned from mid-April to mid-June at water temperatures of 7-18 C; ova hatched after 13-17 days (Parker and Franzin 1991).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
QuebecS3Yes
OntarioS4Yes
SaskatchewanS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
WyomingS4Yes
OhioS5Yes
KansasS3Yes
GeorgiaS4Yes
MichiganS2Yes
South DakotaS3Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
VermontS1Yes
LouisianaS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
New JerseySNANo
WisconsinS5Yes
New YorkS3Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
ArkansasS3Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
IowaS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
TennesseeS5Yes
IndianaS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
MarylandS4Yes
NebraskaS4Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
MississippiS4Yes
ColoradoSUYes
IllinoisS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (1)
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
References (48)
  1. Bart, Henry L. (Tulane Museum of Natural History, Tulane University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI in February 2000.
  2. Baxter, G. T., and J. R. Simon. 1970. Wyoming fishes. Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Cheyenne, Wyoming, 168 pp.
  3. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
  4. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  5. Buchanan, Thomas M. (Department of Biology. Westark College AR). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  9. 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.
  10. Cross, F. B., and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas. Second Edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. xvii + 315 pp.
  11. 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.
  12. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  13. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  14. Fago, D. 2000. Relative abundance and distribution of fishes in Wisconsin. Fish Distribution Database to year 2000. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
  15. Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.
  16. 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.
  17. Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
  18. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  19. Lamprecht, S. D., and M. C. Scott. 2013. Quillback <i>Carpiodes cyprinus</i>. South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan, Supplemental Volume: Species of Conservation Concern. 3 pp.
  20. Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  21. 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.
  22. Marcy, B. C., Jr., D. E. Fletcher, F. D. Martin, M. H. Paller, and M.J.M. Reichert. 2005. Fishes of the middle Savannah River basin. University of Georgia Press, Athens. xiv + 460 pp.
  23. Master, L. L. 1996. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Progress Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. 60 pp.
  24. Master, L. L. and A. L. Stock. 1998. Synoptic national assessment of comparative risks to biological diversity and landscape types: species distributions. Summary Report submitted to Environmental Protection Agency. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. 36 pp.
  25. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  26. 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.
  27. 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.
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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.
  31. 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.
  32. Parker, B. R., and W. G. Franzin. 1991. Reproductive biology of the quillback, <i>Carpiodes cyprinus</i>, in a small prairie river. Canadian Journal of Zoology 69(8):2133-2139.
  33. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  34. Raesly, Richard L. (Frostburg State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  35. 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.
  36. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  37. Robison, H.W. and T.M. Buchanan. 2020. Fishes of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA, 959 pp.
  38. Rohde, F. C., R. G. Arndt, J. W. Foltz and J. M. Quattro. 2009. Freshwater fishes of South Carolina. University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC. 430 pp.
  39. Rohde, Fritz (Icthyologist, North Carolina Division of Marine Fishes). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  40. 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.
  41. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
  42. 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.
  43. Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
  44. Smith, G. R. 1992. Phylogeny and biogeography of the Catostomidae, freshwater fishes of North America and Asia. Pages 778-826 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  45. Smith, P. W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
  46. Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.
  47. Trautman, M. B. 1981. The fishes of Ohio. Second edition. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, Ohio. 782 pp.
  48. Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.