Rhinichthys atratulus
Eastern Blacknose Dace
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Cypriniformes (Carps and Minnows)
Cyprinidae (Carps and Minnows)
Rhinichthys
Rhinichthys atratulus (Eastern Blacknose Dace)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Rhinichthys atratulus can be diagnosed by the following characters: back and side with many brown-black specks; deep caudal peduncle; barbel in corner of mouth; groove separating snout from upper lip absent; pointed snout slightly overhangs mouth; 53-70 scales on lateral line; 7 anal rays; pharyngeal teeth 2,4-4,2. Body light brown above, black spot followed by silver spot on dorsal fin base; black stripe along side, through eye and onto snout, continuous in young, as blotches in adult; often a silver stripe above black stripe; and silver white below. Breeding male can be distinguished by having pads on upper surface of pectoral fin, yellow-white pectoral and pelvic fins, white to red stripe below black body stripe (Ref. 86798). Body stout, spindle-shaped; mouth slightly inferior, slightly oblique and extending to below nostril; pointed barbel in groove at angle of mouth. Gill rakers short, conical, widely spaced (Ref. 54725).
Distribution
North America: Atlantic, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, Mississippi River, and upper Mobile Bay drainages Nova Scotia to Manitoba, Canada and south to northern Georgia and northern Alabama, USA.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. demersal. Found in: streams.
Biology
Inhabits rocky runs and pools of headwaters, creeks and small rivers (Ref. 5723, 10294, 86798). Feeds on aquatic insects (Ref. 54729, 10294), diatoms and other algae (Ref. 54725). Considered as an attractive aquarium pet and propagation through artificial fertilization is practical (Ref. 54725).
Max length: 12.4 cm TL; common length: 5.7 cm TL; max age: 3 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-03-01. Resilience: High (tmax=3).
References
Etnier, D.A. and W.C. Starnes (1993) The fishes of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. (pls. check date).
Balon, E.K. (1975) Reproductive guilds of fishes: a proposal and definition. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 32(6):821-864.
Garman, G.C. and J.R. Moring (1993) Diet and annual production of two boreal river fishes following clearcut logging. Environ. Biol. Fishes 36(3):301-311.
Nelson, J.S., E.J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Pérez, 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. ix, 386 p. + 1 CD.
Becker, G.C. (1983) Fishes of Wisconsin. Madison (USA, WI): University of Wisconsin Press, xii, 1052 p.
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr (2011) A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p.
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