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Home/Species/ Whitetail Shiner

Cyprinella galactura

(Cope, 1868)

Whitetail Shiner

G5Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102202
Element CodeAFCJB49090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusCyprinella
Synonyms
Notropis galacturus
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). Gibbs (1961) determined that the two widely disjunct populations are morphologically similar and do not warrant taxonomic recognition.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2011-11-16
Change Date1996-09-18
Edition Date2011-11-16
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Range Extent Comments
This shiner occurs in two disjunct areas west and east of the Former Mississippi Embayment. Range includes the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky; Atlantic slope headwaters (upper Savannah and Santee river systems, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia); upper New River drainage, West Virginia and Virginia; Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains portions of the White and St. Francis river systems, Missouri and Arkansas (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

Habitat includes cool, usually clear, high-gradient headwaters, creeks, and small rivers, with bottom of clean gravel and rubble. This shiner is common in raceways or near riffles; it frequents deep pools in association with large boulders and rocky banks (Mayden 1989). Eggs are laid in crevices between rocks or logs, under bark, or on undersides of rocks and other surfaces (Mayden 1989).

Reproduction

Spawns late May to late June at 24-28 C (Lee et al. 1980). Spawns early June-August in Missouri (Pflieger 1975), late May to mid-July in North Carolina (Outten 1958). In North Carolina, sexually mature usually by age 2 years; lives usually 2 years, sometimes 3-4 years (Outten 1958). Males guard territories around nesting sites.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South CarolinaS3Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
MississippiS1Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
NevadaSNANo
KentuckyS4Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
ArkansasS4Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
West VirginiaSNANo
AlabamaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (6)
Missouri (1)
AreaForestAcres
Irish Rare II Study AreaMark Twain National Forest1,226
North Carolina (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Yellowhammer Branch (add.)Nantahala National Forest1,255
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Little MountainMonongahela National Forest8,172
References (21)
  1. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Gibbs, R. H., Jr. 1961. Cyprinid fishes of the subgenus <i>Cyprinella</i> of <i>Notropis</i>. IV. The <i>Notropis galacturus-camurus</i> complex. American Midland Naturalist. 66:337-354.
  5. Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
  6. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. Outten, L. M. 1958. Studies of the life history of the cyprinid fishes <i>Notropis galacturus</i> and <i>rubricroceus</i>. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Science Society 74:123-134.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  18. 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.
  19. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.