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Luxilus cerasinus

(Cope, 1868)

Crescent Shiner

G4Apparently Secure Found in 6 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105605
Element CodeAFCJB51030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusLuxilus
Synonyms
Notropis cerasinus(Cope, 1868)
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
Removed from genus Notropis and placed in genus (formerly subgenus) Luxilus by Mayden (1989) and Coburn and Cavender (1992). This change was adopted in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991). See Meagher and Dowling (1991) for information on hybridization between L. cornutus and L. cerasinus in the James River drainage, southwestern Virginia. See Dowling et al. (1992) for information on evolutionary relationships among Luxilus shiners based on mtDNA data. See Powers and Gold (1992) for information on phylogenetic relationships among Luxilus shiners based on an analysis of chromosomal NOR variation.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-12-03
Change Date1996-09-18
Edition Date2025-12-03
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
This species has a limited range in Virginia and North Carolina. Population size and trends are unknown. There are no known threats at this time.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in the upper and middle Roanoke (and adjacent tributaries of Meherrin River-Chowan River system), James, Cape Fear, and New river drainages in Virginia and North Carolina. It is common in Roanoke drainage, may be introduced in other drainages (Page and Burr 1991). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records from 1995-2025, range extent is estimated to be 45,864 km² (RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
Applying a 10 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 48 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Typically in rocky and sandy pools of cool to warm headwaters, creeks, and small rivers with highly varied substrates; generally avoids heavily silted areas. Spawning behavior has been observed over Nocomis nests.

Reproduction

Spawning behavior has been observed in late summer.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
North CarolinaS4Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (6)
Virginia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Brush Mountain EastJefferson National Forest4,916
Mottesheard (VA)Jefferson National Forest2,596
Peters Mountain Addition A (VA)Jefferson National Forest1,268
Peters Mountain Addition BJefferson National Forest2,909
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Peters Mountain Addition A (WV)Jefferson National Forest343
References (18)
  1. Alderman, John (NC Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. February 2000.
  2. Coburn, M. M., and T. M. Cavender. 1992. Interrelationships of North American cyprinid fishes. Pages 328-373 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  3. Dowling, T.E., W.R. Hoeh, G.R. Smith and W.M. Brown. 1992a. Evolutionary relationships of shiners in the genus <i>Luxilus</i> (Cyprinidae) as determined by analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Copeia 1992:306-322.
  4. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  5. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Meagher, S., and T. E. Dowling. 1991. Hybridization between the cyprinid fishes <i>Luxilus albeolus</i>, <i>L. cornutus</i>, and <i>L. cerasinus</i> with comments on the proposed hybrid origin of <i>L. albeolus</i>. Copeia 1991:979-991.
  9. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  16. Powers, P. K., and J. R. Gold. 1992. Cytogenetic studies in North American minnows (Cyprinidae): XX. Chromosomal NOR variation in the genus <i>Luxilus</i>. Copeia 1992:332-343.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.