Allegheny pearl dace facts for kids
The Allegheny pearl dace (Margariscus margarita) is a small, freshwater fish. It has a dark green back and shiny, silvery sides. This fish eats both plants, like algae, and small water bugs. You can find the Allegheny pearl dace in southern Canada and the northern United States. While it's not considered endangered across the whole country, some states are worried about its future. Its homes are being damaged, and new types of fish are causing problems for it.
Quick facts for kids Allegheny pearl dace |
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Margariscus
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margarita
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Contents
Discover the Allegheny Pearl Dace
The Allegheny pearl dace is a fish that lives near the bottom of freshwater areas. It can grow up to 16 centimeters (about 6 inches) long. However, most of these fish are usually around 9.3 centimeters (about 3.5 inches) long. They can live for up to four years.
This fish has a long body with small eyes and a small mouth. It has eight rays in its dorsal fin (on its back), anal fin (underneath), and pelvic fins (near its belly). Its back is dark green, its sides are silvery, and its belly is grey or white. During cooler months, from late autumn to summer, male pearl dace can show a bright orange-red stripe on their sides. This stripe is just below their lateral line, which is a special line of sensors on a fish's body.
What Do Pearl Dace Eat?
The Allegheny pearl dace is an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and animals. Its diet includes algae, which are tiny water plants. It also eats small water bugs called arthropods. Some of these bugs are chironomids (like midge larvae) and water fleas.
How Pearl Dace Reproduce
Allegheny pearl dace lay their eggs in the spring. Most of these fish are ready to reproduce when they are about one year old.
Where Do Pearl Dace Live?
This fish lives in North America. You can find it in southern Canada and the northern United States. It lives in large river systems like the Mississippi River, Hudson Bay, and the Great Lakes.
Pearl dace make their homes in lakes, ponds, and rivers. They usually prefer areas with sandy or gravelly bottoms. Since they find their food by sight, they need clear water. This is why they often live in clear streams and bog drainage systems.
Protecting the Allegheny Pearl Dace
The Allegheny pearl dace is not considered endangered by the United States government. However, in many states, it is seen as locally endangered or threatened. This means it's becoming rare in those specific areas. For example, in the Great Plains region, their numbers have gone down a lot since European settlers arrived.
The main threats to the Allegheny pearl dace are changes to its home and new species of fish. Human activities often cause habitat changes. These include building reservoirs, pumping water from the ground, changing river paths, and straightening streams. All these actions can harm the fish's natural living spaces.
New fish species, like bass, pike, or trout, can also be very bad for the pearl dace. These new fish might eat the pearl dace or compete with them for food. Sometimes, Allegheny pearl dace are caught and used as bait by people fishing. This can also contribute to their declining numbers.
