Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Fathead Minnow

Pimephales promelas

Rafinesque, 1820

Fathead Minnow

G5Secure Found in 17 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102599
Element CodeAFCJB32020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCypriniformes
FamilyLeuciscidae
GenusPimephales
Other Common Names
Tête-de-boule (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
NOR chromosomal data support monophyly of the four extant species of Pimephales and suggest that the genus Pimephales belongs in a monophyletic assemblage with, among others, the cyprinid genera Cyprinella and Opsopoeodus (Li and Gold 1991); Coburn and Cavender (1992) also indicated that these three genera are phylogenetically closely related.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-17
Edition Date1996-09-17
Edition AuthorsCannings, S. G., and G. Hammerson
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Widespread in North America; inhabits a variety of aquatic habitats, and tolerant of high temperatures, turbidity, and low oxygen.
Range Extent Comments
Throughout much of North America, from Alberta and Northwest Territories to Quebec and New Brunswick, south to Alabama, Texas, northern Mexico (Chihuahua), and New Mexico; introduced in Colorado River drainage (Arizona and New Mexico), Mobile Bay drainage (Alabama), and elsewhere, through use as bait fish; most common in Great Plains, generally absent from mountains, absent on Atlantic Slope south of Delaware River; common over much of range (Page and Burr 1991).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Lakes, ponds, headwaters, creeks, small rivers, ditches, reservoirs, residual pools of intermittent streams (where sometimes very abundant); usually in sluggish or still water with abundant floating and submerged vegetation; tolerant of high temperature, turbidity, low oxygen, and high salinity. Adapts well to pond culture. Eggs are laid on underside of object in quiet water in nest guarded by male. Larvae collected in shoreline drift in upper Colorado River (where introduced).

Ecology

Schooling species.

Reproduction

Spawns in spring and summer. Eggs guarded by male, hatch in 4-6 days at 23-30 C. Sexually mature at age 0-III, at older age in north than in south. Most adults die after spawning.
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaSNANo
MontanaS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
VermontS4Yes
WyomingS5Yes
IowaS5Yes
UtahSNANo
South DakotaS5Yes
MaineSUYes
ColoradoS5Yes
North CarolinaSNANo
New HampshireSNANo
MichiganS5Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
NevadaSNANo
TexasS5Yes
LouisianaS4Yes
MarylandSNANo
West VirginiaS4Yes
New MexicoSNANo
IllinoisS5Yes
CaliforniaSNANo
ArizonaSNANo
WashingtonSNANo
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
Navajo NationSNANo
IdahoSNANo
TennesseeSNAYes
ArkansasS4Yes
IndianaS4Yes
MassachusettsSNANo
OklahomaSNRYes
North DakotaSNRYes
KansasS5Yes
AlabamaSNANo
OhioSNRYes
ConnecticutSNANo
WisconsinS5Yes
MinnesotaSNRYes
DelawareSNANo
NebraskaS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
MississippiSNANo
OregonSNANo
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
Northwest TerritoriesSUYes
ManitobaS5Yes
AlbertaS4Yes
British ColumbiaSNANo
QuebecS4Yes
OntarioS5Yes
SaskatchewanS5Yes
New BrunswickSUYes
Roadless Areas (17)
Arizona (4)
AreaForestAcres
Barbershop CanyonCoconino National Forest1,311
East Clear CreekCoconino National Forest1,613
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
Slate Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,299
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pole Mountain / Finger MesaRio Grande NF43,863
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Last Chance CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
Oregon (2)
AreaForestAcres
MarshWinema National Forest1,226
Sky Lakes BWinema National Forest9,615
Utah (4)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401024Ashley National Forest12,882
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
Wyoming (3)
AreaForestAcres
Rock CreekBighorn National Forest48,657
Sulphur CreekShoshone National Forest30,221
Trout CreekShoshone National Forest44,034
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