Home/Species/ Northern Roach

Hesperoleucus mitrulus

Snyder, 1913

Northern Roach

G1Critically Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G1Critically ImperiledGlobal Rank

MediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101067

Element CodeAFCJB19027

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderCypriniformes

FamilyLeuciscidae

GenusHesperoleucus

Synonyms

Hesperoleucus symmetricus mitrulusSnyder, 1913Lavinia symmetricus mitrulus(Snyder, 1913)

Other Common Names

Pit Roach (EN)

Concept Reference

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.

Taxonomic Comments

In a comprehensive genetic analysis of Hesperoleucus and Lavinia, Baumsteiger and Moyle (2019) found the Pit River, California and Goose Lake, Oregon, populations to be genetically distinct "at the species-level in every analysis" and assigned them to Hesperoleucus mitrulus.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2020-11-19

Change Date2020-11-19

Edition Date2020-11-13

Edition AuthorsK. Hunting

Threat ImpactMedium

Range Extent250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)

Number of Occurrences1 - 5

Rank Reasons

The Pit roach has disappeared from much of its former range in the Pit River drainage in California and Oregon, due to habitat degradation (resulting from human activities) and is now confined to a few scattered populations.

Range Extent Comments

The Pit roach is found in southeastern Oregon (primarily in Dry, Drews, Hay, Dent, Muddy, and Augur Creeks in the Goose Lake Watershed, Lake County, Oregon) and in several tributaries of the upper Pit River (above Pit River Falls) in Shasta, Lassen, and possibly Modoc Counties, California, USA (Moyle et al 2015). In comprehensive sampling of the upper Pit River system in 1981, Pit roach were found in only 8% of 261 tributaries and streams primarily in three drainages: Ash-Rush-Willow Creek (Lassen and Modoc Counties), Bear Creek tributary to the Fall River (Shasta County), and Beaver Creek (Lassen County) (Moyle et al 2015).

Occurrences Comments

Confined to southeastern Oregon and Northeastern California with few unique occurrences.

Threat Impact Comments

Principal threats include habitat loss from conversion to agricultural uses and habitat degradation from unrestricted and, in places, heavy grazing in riparian areas (Moyle et al 2015). The Pit roach is susceptible to the effects of climate change particularly expected variable water availability and degraded water quality (Moyle et al 2013). Pit roach populations are also vulnerable to stochastic events (e.g., fire, flooding) due to small, isolated populations that may lack the capacity for recolonization (Moyle 2002).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

The Pit roach occurs in deep mud/rock bottomed pools in permanent 2nd to 3rd order streams, and in the Pit River itself; mostly in sections with low flow, moderate gradient, warm temperatures, and edge mats of duckweed and water ferns; positive correlation between roach abundance and the abundance of other native fishes (Moyle and Daniels 1982).

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN1

Province	Rank	Native
California	S2	Yes
Oregon	S2	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops	Large (31-70%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranching	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
11 - Climate change & severe weather	Pervasive (71-100%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alteration	Pervasive (71-100%)	Slight or 1-10% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Roadless Areas (1)

Oregon (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Drake - Mcdowell	Fremont National Forest	5,767

References (12)

Baird, S. F., and C. F. Girard. 1854. Descriptions of new species of fishes collected in Texas, New Mexico and Sonora, by Mr. John H. Clark, on the US and Mexican boundary survey and in Texas by Capt. Stewart Van Vliet, Proceedings, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 7:24-29.
Baumsteiger, J. and P. M. Moyle. 2019. A reappraisal of the California Roach/Hitch (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae, Hesperoleucus/Lavinia) species complex. Zootaxa 4543(2):221-240.
Eschmeyer, W. N. and R. Fricke (editors). 2011. Catalog of Fishes electronic version (30 November 2011). http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp
Hubbs, C. L., W. I. Follett, and L. J. Dempster. 1979. List of the fishes of California. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 133:1-51.
Jelks, H. L., S. J. Walsh, N. M. Burkhead, S. Contreras-Balderas, E. Díaz-Pardo, D. A. Hendrickson, J. Lyons, N. E. Mandrak, F. McCormick, J. S. Nelson, S. P. Platania, B. A. Porter, C. B. Renaud, J. Jacobo Schmitter-Soto, E. B. Taylor, and M.L. Warren, Jr. 2008. Conservation status of imperiled North American freshwater and diadromous fishes. Fisheries 33(8):372-407.
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.
Moyle, P. B. 2002. Inland fishes of California. Revised and expanded. University of California Press, Berkeley. xv + 502 pp.
Moyle, P. B., and R. A. Daniels. 1982. Fishes of the Pit River system, and Surprise Valley region. Univ. California Publ. Zool. 115:1-82.
Moyle, P. B., J. D. Kiernan, P. K. Crain, and R. M. Quiñones. 2013. Climate change vulnerability of native and alien freshwater fishes of California: a systematic assessment approach. PLoS ONE 8(5):e63883. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063883
Moyle, P. B., J. E. Williams, and E. D. Wikramanayake. 1989. Fish species of special concern of California. Final report submitted to California Dept. of Fish and Game, Inland Fisheries Division, Rancho Cordova. 222 pp.
Moyle, P. B., R. M. Quiñones, J. V. Katz and J. Weaver. 2015. Northern Roach (Lavinia mitrulus) Account in Fish Species of Special Concern in California. Sacramento: California Department of Fish and Wildlife. https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=104357&inline
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.

Hesperoleucus mitrulus

Habitat

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