Blackchin shiner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blackchin shiner |
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The blackchin shiner (Notropis heterodon) is a common freshwater fish found in North America. It belongs to the minnow family, called Cyprinidae. It was first described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1865. It's a close cousin of the blacknose shiner.
Today, you'll mostly find it in the Great Lakes and parts of the upper Mississippi River. Long ago, it lived much further south, in places like Illinois and Ohio. This small minnow likes cool water with sandy bottoms and plenty of hiding spots. It's an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and animals. Its diet includes worms, small insects, and plant bits. Blackchin shiners are special because of their unique features. These include their black coloring, a special side stripe, and unique teeth.
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What is a Blackchin Shiner?
The blackchin shiner gets its name from the black color on its lower jaw. This black stripe goes over its eyes, across its gills, and all the way to its tail. What's cool is that this stripe looks like a zig-zag pattern around its scales. Other shiners usually have straight stripes.
How Big Are They?
Blackchin shiners are usually about 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. But some have been found to be as long as 4.5 inches! They have a deep, flat body shape. Even though they are deep-bodied, they can swim in short, fast bursts. They are good at moving around in weedy areas. But they find it hard to swim in fast-moving water.
What Do They Look Like?
Just above their black stripe, blackchin shiners have a thin line of golden scales. The scales on their backs and upper sides have dark edges. This makes them look different from other shiners.
Another unique feature is their lateral line. This is a special line of sensory pores along their side. For blackchin shiners, this line is not complete. It also has a dark spot above and below each pore. All their fins are clear, and their belly is a light cream color.
Their scales are thin and flexible. They are called cycloid scales, which are round and smooth. These scales are a clue that this fish is an older type of fish. Many other fish have different scales called ctenoid scales. Scientists can tell a fish's age by looking at the rings on its scales. It's like counting the rings on a tree trunk!
Blackchin shiners have eight rays on their anal fin. Their tail fin is forked, like a "V" shape. The fin on their back, called the dorsal fin, is located behind the middle of their body. Their paired fins, called ventral fins, are found near their belly.
Inside their throat, they have teeth arranged in two rows. There's one tooth in the outer row and four in the inner row. This tooth pattern helps scientists tell them apart from other fish. The inside of their mouth is a pale, off-white color. All these features help biologists identify different types of fish.
Where Do They Live?
Blackchin shiners are only found in North America. You can see them in southern Quebec in Canada. In the United States, they are found from Vermont to Minnesota and Iowa. They mostly live in the Great Lakes and upper Mississippi River areas. Some have also been seen in other river systems.
Their Home and Environment
These fish mostly live in cool lakes that were formed by glaciers. They love protected areas with lots of weeds. So, you might also find them near the entrances and exits of big lakes. They also live in shallow pools, slow creeks, and small rivers.
Blackchin shiners prefer clear water with sandy bottoms. They don't stay long in water that has a lot of mud or silt. If they feel threatened, these shiners will hide in the weeds to stay safe.
How Are They Doing?
The blackchin shiner is currently not a fish that scientists are worried about. Their numbers seem to be stable in many places. This is because they are found in a wide range of locations. It's not fully known if their numbers are staying the same or slowly dropping. This is due to a lack of information. But they are listed as a species of 'Least Concern'.
However, it's believed they were once very common in Illinois and Ohio. Now, they are only found in small numbers in those states. It was thought they had disappeared from Ohio before 1940. But then they were found in Myers Lake and later in Nettle Lake. In Illinois, they are listed as a threatened species.
Life of a Blackchin Shiner
Young blackchin shiners look very much like the adult fish. Their black side stripe might be a bit lighter when they are young.
How They Reproduce
When it's time to breed, male blackchin shiners can turn a golden-yellow color. Small bumps might also appear on their head and fins. These color changes seem to help them attract females. Female blackchin shiners caught in July and August often have eggs ready to be laid. This suggests that they start laying eggs around May.
What Do They Eat?
Blackchin shiners are small and common fish. This means they are an important food source for other fish. Young northern pike (Esox lucius) and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) often eat them. These bigger fish live in the same areas as the shiners.
Their Diet
Scientists have found water fleas (cladocera) and midges in the stomachs of blackchin shiners. Finding midges means the fish catch them from the water surface. They also eat worms and plant material. This shows that they are omnivores. They can also search for food on the bottom of the water.
The blackchin shiner's mouth is located at the very front of its head. This is a common mouth position for fish. It suggests that these shiners probably feed in the middle of the water.
