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Home/Species/ Silver Shiner

Notropis photogenis

(Cope, 1865)

Silver Shiner

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105739
Element CodeAFCJB28740
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusNotropis
Other Common Names
Méné miroir (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
See Dowling and Brown (1989) for information on phylogenetic relationships based on allozymes and mtDNA (yielded different degrees of taxonomic resolution).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-10-17
Change Date1996-09-25
Edition Date2024-10-17
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2024)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
This species is widespread in the northeastern United States and southern Ontario, Canada. Populations in the United States are abundant and stable while Canadian populations are less secure. No major rangewide threats are known, although there are a number of localized threats.
Range Extent Comments
This species is found in north-central North America. In the United States, it occurs mainly in the Ohio and Tennessee River drainages where it is found from northern Georgia and Alabama, north through western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, western Kentucky, eastern Indiana, Ohio, and southeastern Michigan, and east to West Virginia, Virginia, western Pennsylvania, and southwestern New York (COSEWIC 2011). In southern Ontario, Canada, it is found in tributaries of Lake Huron, Lake Eerie, Lake Ontario, and Lake St. Claire (COSEWIC 2011, Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2022). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2024) records from 2000-2024, range extent is estimated to be 661,741 km².
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations (Page and Burr 2011, Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2022). Applying a 10 km separation distance to GBIF (2024) records from 2000-2024, there are an estimated 224 occurrences.
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known. Localized threats include chloride from road salts, sedimentation, nutrient loading, toxic spills, dams, and invasive fishes (COSEWIC 2011, Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2022).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Rocky runs and riffles of small to large, clear, weedless rivers of moderate to high gradient, usually with a gravel to boulder substrate.

Reproduction

Spawns in late spring or early summer in north. Sexually mature usually in 2nd summer in north (Parker and McKee 1983).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS3Yes
GeorgiaS1Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
IndianaS4Yes
MarylandSNANo
TennesseeS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
New YorkS2Yes
AlabamaS1Yes
OhioS4Yes
MichiganS1Yes
CanadaN2
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useLarge - restrictedSlight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste waterLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3.1 - Nutrient loadsLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3.2 - Soil erosion, sedimentationLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3.3 - Herbicides and pesticidesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Overflow CreekNantahala National Forest3,379
References (24)
  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. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). 2011. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Silver Shiner <i>Notropis photogenis</i> in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xi + 45 p.
  4. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  5. Dowling, T. E., and W. M. Brown. 1989. Allozymes, mitochondrial DNA, and levels of phylogenetic resolution among four minnow species (<i>Notropis</i>: Cyprinidae). Systematic Zoology 38:126-143.
  6. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  7. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). 2022. Recovery strategy and action plan for the silver shiner (<i>Notropis photogenis</i>) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa. vi + 51 p.
  8. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  9. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  10. 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.
  11. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  12. Mettee, Maurice. F. "Scott" (Icthyologist, Geological Survey of Alabama). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. April 2000.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Parker, B., and P. McKee. 1983. Status report on the spotted gar Lepisosteus oculatus. Committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
  20. 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.
  21. Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
  22. 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.
  23. Trautman, M. B. 1981. The fishes of Ohio. Second edition. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, Ohio. 782 pp.
  24. Young, J. A. M, and M. A. Koops. 2013. Recovery potential modelling of silver shiner (<i>Notropis photogenis</i>) in Canada. DFO Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Research Document 2012/131. iv + 29 p.