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Home/Species/ Longnose Dace

Rhinichthys cataractae

(Valenciennes, 1842)

Longnose Dace

G5Secure Found in 45 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101847
Element CodeAFCJB37020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusRhinichthys
COSEWICPS:X,E
Other Common Names
Naseux des rapides (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
Three subspecies (cataractae, dulcis, and smithi) have been described; other populations probably deserve taxonomic recognition (Page and Burr 1991). Hybridizes with Rhinichthyes osculus, Gila pandora, and Campostoma anomalum (Sublette et al. 1990).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-17
Range Extent Comments
Widest range of any North American minnow; generally distributed north of 40 degrees north latitude from coast to coast; north to the Arctic Circle in the Mackenzie River drainage; south in the Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia, south through the Rocky Mountains into the Rio Grande drainage of Texas and northern Mexico, and south along the Atlantic coast to Virginia; common in northern U.S., fairly common in west but absent from Alaska and from western drainages south of the Columbia and Coos river drainages (Page and Burr 1991). Subspecies cataractae: east of the Continental Divide. Subspecies dulcis: Pacific basin. Subspecies SMITHI: formerly in hot springs in Banff National Park, Alberta.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
See Lanteigne (1988) for discussion of extinction of subspecies smithi due to introgressive hybridization with subspecies cataractae (marsh created by Cave and Basin Hotsprings, 1.7 km SW Banff, Alberta, Canada); initial decline of smithi is attributed to introductions of non-native fishes, periodic cessation of spring flow related to public use of hot springs, and periodic spillage of sewage from the public facilities (Miller et al. 1989).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Characteristic of clean, swiftly flowing, gravel or bouldery creeks and small to medium rivers; also in inshore waters of lakes over gravel or boulder bottoms. May move offshore to deeper water in summer in warm lakes. Rests under stones when inactive. Spawns probably in riffles over a gravelly bottom, sometimes over or near river chub nests. Also spawns in shallow, pebble-bottomed, wave-swept shorelines of lakes. Fry occupy quiet shallow protected margins of streams, move into swift water within 6 weeks.

Ecology

Home range averaged less than 14 m of stream length in North Carolina (Hill and Grossman 1987).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring and summer. Eggs hatch in about 7-10 days at 15.6 C. Sexually mature generally at age II (Becker 1983, Scott and Crossman 1973). Maximum lifespan 5 years.
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaS3Yes
IowaS3Yes
DelawareS4Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS4Yes
NebraskaS4Yes
ColoradoS5Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
TennesseeS5Yes
VermontS5Yes
Rhode IslandS4Yes
OhioS3Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
NevadaS2Yes
UtahS3Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
New HampshireS5Yes
IdahoS5Yes
WashingtonS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
TexasS2Yes
MarylandS5Yes
South CarolinaS3Yes
MaineSNRYes
IndianaS2Yes
MontanaS4Yes
IllinoisS2Yes
South DakotaS5Yes
OregonS4Yes
MichiganS5Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
WyomingS5Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS5Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
LabradorS4Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Yukon TerritorySUYes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
AlbertaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS5Yes
Roadless Areas (45)
Georgia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Idaho (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bighorn - WeitasNez Perce-Clearwater National Forest254,845
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Lemhi RangeSalmon-Challis National Forest308,533
Peace RockBoise National Forest191,734
SeceshPayette National Forest248,088
Minnesota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Brule Lake - Eagle MountainSuperior National Forest12,380
Montana (7)
AreaForestAcres
Buckhorn Ridge (MT)Kootenai National Forest34,716
Cabinet Face East #671Kootenai National Forest50,326
Freezeout MountainBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest97,305
Italian PeakBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest90,401
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
Selway - Bitterroot (01067)Bitterroot National Forest114,953
Willard Estelle #173Kootenai National Forest3,714
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Kinsman MountainWhite Mountain National Forest8,999
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Chama WS RiverSanta Fe National Forest4,168
Virgin CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,068
North Carolina (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
North Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
SheyenneDakota Prairie Grasslands14,537
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
French Pete (a)Willamette National Forest1,668
Nipple ButteMalheur National Forest11,354
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ellicott Rock 1Sumter National Forest301
South Dakota (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cheyenne RiverBuffalo Gap National Grassland7,572
Red ShirtBuffalo Gap National Grassland17,007
Tennessee (1)
AreaForestAcres
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Utah (5)
AreaForestAcres
418014Uinta National Forest9,683
418015Uinta National Forest17,289
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
LakesWasatch-Cache National Forest121,967
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bread LoafGreen Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,768
Virginia (6)
AreaForestAcres
Dolly AnnGeorge Washington National Forest7,855
JerkemtightGeorge Washington National Forest16,687
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
East Fork Of GreenbrierMonongahela National Forest7,167
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
Wyoming (3)
AreaForestAcres
Lake Alice - Commissary RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest166,707
Wapiti Valley NorthShoshone National Forest18,345
Wapiti Valley SouthShoshone National Forest43,517
References (51)
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