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Home/Species/ Roughhead Shiner

Notropis semperasper

Gilbert, 1961

Roughhead Shiner

G2Imperiled (G2G3) Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G2ImperiledGlobal Rank
VulnerableIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103598
Element CodeAFCJB28860
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNVulnerable
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusNotropis
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
"Notable in having no apparent close relative that is historically native to an adjacent drainage" (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2012-04-24
Change Date1996-09-17
Edition Date2012-04-24
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent1000-5000 square km (about 400-2000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences6 - 20
Rank Reasons
Small range in the upper James River drainage, Virginia; generally uncommon; threats include degradation of habitat by impoundment and pulp mill effluents and competition with apparently recently introduced Notropis telescopus.
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the Ridge and Valley Province of the upper James River drainage, Virginia; this species has the smallest range of the three fishes endemic to the James drainage (Burkhead and Jenkins 1991, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).
Occurrences Comments
Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) mapped about 38 collection sites, which may represent several distinct occurrences (subpopulations) and perhaps not more than 10 locations (as defined by IUCN).
Threat Impact Comments
Impoundment, including cold tailwater, and pulp mill effluents present slight or moderate threats to the habitat. These already have altered quality of the habitat in the Jackson River and upper James River. The roughhead shiner may be threatened by competition from the apparently recently introduced, rapidly spreading telescope shiner, Notropis telescopus (Burkhead and Jenkins 1991, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes clear rocky pools and backwaters of small to large rivers (Page and Burr 2011). This species is limited to relatively pristine streams; typically it occurs in cool and warm, usually clear, large creeks and medium-sized rivers with moderate gradient, hard bottom, and little siltation; it prefers slow to moderate currents of runs, pools near flowing water, and backwaters, but it occasionally can be found in swifter water (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994). It may spawn over Nocomis nests.

Reproduction

Most spawning apparently occurs from early or mid-May to early June, but probably extends into July or possibly August (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994). Both sexes mature in 2 years; most live no longer than 3 years, but a few may survive into the 4th year (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
7 - Natural system modificationsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
7.2 - Dams & water management/useUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9 - PollutionUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluentsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (3)
Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
References (13)
  1. Burkhead, N. M., and R. E. Jenkins. 1991. Fishes. Pages 321-409 in K. Terwilliger (coordinator). Virginia's Endangered Species: Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  2. 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.
  3. Jenkins, R.E. and N.M. Burkhead. 1975. Distribution and aspects of life history and morphology of the cyprinid fish <i>Notropis semperasper</i> endemic to the upper James River drainage, Virginia. Chesapeake Science 16:178-191.
  4. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. State Natural Heritage Data Centers. 1996a. Aggregated element occurrence data from all U.S. state natural heritage programs, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, Navajo Nation and the District of Columbia. Science Division, The Nature Conservancy.
  13. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2023. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Findings for 4 Species. Federal Register 88(54):16933-16937.