Cyprinella spiloptera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cyprinella spiloptera |
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Cyprinella
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spiloptera
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The spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera) is a type of fish with ray-fins. It belongs to the Cyprinidae family, which includes minnows and carp. This small freshwater fish lives in many watercourses across North America.
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What is a Spotfin Shiner?
The spotfin shiner was first described in 1867 by Edward Drinker Cope. People sometimes call it the silver-finned minnow or the satin-finned minnow.
How to Spot a Spotfin Shiner
Spotfin shiners have a special black spot on their dorsal fin, which is the fin on their back. This spot might be hard to see on smaller fish. They have a deep body and a black bar behind their gill cover. Their mouths open at the very front of their head.
Their scales are shaped like diamonds. Each scale has a black outline. When male spotfin shiners are ready to breed in late spring and early summer, they turn a shiny, steel-blue color. Their bottom fins also change from dull yellow to bright yellow. The heads of these breeding males get covered in tiny bumps called tubercles. These bumps make their heads feel rough, like sandpaper. Spotfin shiners also have 37 to 39 scales along their side, which is called the lateral line. They have eight rays in their anal fin, which helps tell them apart from similar fish.
Where Do Spotfin Shiners Live?
You can find Cyprinella spiloptera in almost all of the Great Lakes, except Lake Superior. They live from the Saint Lawrence river system in Quebec, down to the Potomac river in Virginia. They are also found from Ontario and New York to North Dakota. Their range extends south to Alabama and the eastern parts of Oklahoma. You can even find them in some isolated spots in the Ozark mountains.
These fish prefer temperate climates. They like clear, flowing water in creeks and small to medium rivers. They often live in areas with sand and gravel bottoms, like shallow runs and pools.
What Do Spotfin Shiners Eat?
Adult spotfin shiners mostly eat insects that land on the water's surface. They also munch on young aquatic creatures that live in the water.
Are Spotfin Shiners in Danger?
The IUCN Red List currently lists Cyprinella spiloptera as having the least concern for conservation. This means they are not considered to be in danger of disappearing.
Life Cycle of a Spotfin Shiner
Spotfin shiners lay their eggs from mid-June to mid-August. The female fish place their eggs in small cracks in rocks, or on submerged logs and roots. The male fish guard the eggs until they hatch, which usually takes about five days. Most spotfin shiners live for about two years, but some can live up to five years.
What's in a Name?
The name Cyprinella comes from Latin. Cyprin means carp, and -ella is a small ending, so it means "little carp." The second part of their name, spiloptera, also comes from Latin. Spilos means spot, and pteron means wing or fin. So, spiloptera means "spot-finned," which perfectly describes their unique black spot!
