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Cyprinella venusta

Girard, 1856

Blacktail Shiner

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104896
Element CodeAFCJB49210
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusCyprinella
Synonyms
Notropis venustus
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
Kristmundsdottir and Gold (1996) used mtDNA restriction site analysis to study systematics and biogeography and identified four major mtDNA-based phylogeographic clades: Chocktawatchee, Apalachicola, Mobile, and Western (four lineages, Texas to Mississippi). They found that mtDNA phylogeographic subdivision within C. venusta is not strictly concordant with geographic subdivisions (ranges) of the three nominal subspecies (venusta, cercostigma, and stigmatura); taxonomic revision may be warranted, but further study is needed. This species was 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). See Mayden (1989) for synonymy.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2011-11-17
Change Date1996-09-18
Edition Date2011-11-17
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from the Rio Grande basin, Texas, to the Suwannee River drainage, Florida and Georgia, and extends north in the Mississippi River basin to southern Oklahoma, southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and western and southern Tennessee; introduced in the Sac River (Missouri River drainage), Missouri (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences (subpopulations) (e.g., see map in Lee et al. 1980). It is one of the most ubiquitous minnows in Alabama (Boschung and Mayden 2004).
Threat Impact Comments
Overall, this species faces no major threats. In Louisiana, habitat changes associated with flood control projects (e.g., channelization) apparently led to increases in C. lutrensis populations and declines and extirpations of C. venusta populations (Douglas and Jordan 2002).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This fish is most common in pools and runs of clear, sandy-bottomed, small to medium rivers, typically in areas with sparse vegetation and strong current, but upland populations occur in creeks over substrates with more gravel and rubble (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). Populations in the western part of the range are often in turbid water. Eggs are deposited in crevices.

Reproduction

In southeastern Mississippi, spawns late March-early October (mainly April-August) at 19-29 C (Heins and Dorsett 1986). Spawns June-August in Missouri. Males defend spawning territories. Produces sounds used in species recognition.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaS4Yes
ArizonaSNANo
OklahomaSNRYes
TennesseeS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
KentuckyS3Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
ArkansasS4Yes
TexasS5Yes
NevadaSNANo
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
7 - Natural system modificationsSmall (1-10%)——
7.2 - Dams & water management/useSmall (1-10%)——
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknown——
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknown——

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Roadless Areas (2)
Mississippi (1)
AreaForestAcres
Sandy Creek Rare Ii AreaHomochitto National Forest2,620
Texas (1)
AreaForestAcres
Winters BayouNational Forests in Texas730
References (28)
  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. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  6. Douglas, N. H., and R. J. Jordan. 2002. Louisiana's inland fishes: a quarter century of change. Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings (43):1-10.
  7. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  8. Heins, D. C., and D. R. Dorsett. 1986. Reproductive traits of the blacktail shiner, NOTROPIS VENUSTUS (Girard) in southern Mississippi. Southwest Naturalist. 31:185-189.
  9. 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.
  10. Kristmundsdottir, A. Y., and J. R. Gold. 1996. Systematics of the blacktail shiner (<i>Cyprinella venusta</i>) inferred from analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Copeia 1996(4):773-783.
  11. Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Miller, R. J., and H. W. Robison. 2004. Fishes of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. 450 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. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  22. Pflieger, W. L. 1997a. The fishes of Missouri. Revised edition. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. vi + 372 pp.
  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. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  25. 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.
  26. Ross, Stephen T. (University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  27. Smith, P. W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
  28. 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