Laurel dace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laurel dace |
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Phoxinus saylori Skelton, 2001 |
The laurel dace (Chrosomus saylori) is a small freshwater fish, a type of minnow, that lives only in Tennessee, USA. Scientists first found this fish in 1976. It's very rare and lives in only a few small streams on the Walden Ridge, a part of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.
You can find the laurel dace in six streams: Soddy, Horn, Cupp, Young's, Moccasin, and Bumbee Creeks. All these streams flow into larger rivers that eventually reach the Tennessee River. It used to live in Laurel Creek too, but sadly, it's no longer found there.
This fish often hangs out near the nests of other fish. It has a big mouth and eats mostly small animals. Adult laurel dace are about 45 millimeters long when they are ready to have babies. Like other fish in its family, it has two dark lines along its body. During the breeding season, it turns a bright red color.
The laurel dace was added to the endangered species list on August 9, 2011. This happened because of farming, mining, and logging in the Walden Ridge area. These activities cause dirt and mud to wash into the streams, which is very bad for the fish.
The fish is named after Charles F. Saylor, a fish scientist who helped discover it. Its common name, "laurel dace," comes from the mountain laurel plant. This plant grows commonly next to the streams where the fish lives.
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What Does the Laurel Dace Look Like?
This small minnow is usually about 45.7 millimeters (about 1.8 inches) long. Its body is olive green to tan, and its belly is silvery white. It has two black stripes on each side of its body.
During the breeding season, the laurel dace changes color. Its lower body turns bright red, and part of its dorsal fin also becomes red. Its lips get redder, and the black stripes become darker. More black spots appear on its head and chest. The areas between the black stripes and its cheeks turn gold. Most of its other fins become yellow. Both male and female fish change colors, but the males' colors are much brighter. You can also tell males and females apart by the shape of their pectoral fins.
Where the Laurel Dace Lives and What It Eats
Scientists haven't studied the laurel dace for a very long time because it was discovered recently. However, we know it likes to hide in plants and trees along the edges of creeks. These plants provide important shelter. This means the fish is very sensitive to changes in these stream-side plants.
Laurel dace usually live in cool, slow-moving water or in pools with small rocks, boulders, and rubble. This type of streambed can be easily harmed if too much dirt washes into the water. These fish also don't like warm water, especially above 25°C (77°F). The reason they live in only a few places might be because they need these specific cool water spots.
Scientists have looked at what's inside the stomachs of laurel dace. They found that these fish eat mostly small animals, especially insect larvae that live at the bottom of the stream. They also eat some plant material and sand grains. Like other fish that eat animals, they have large mouths and short intestines. Laurel dace often swim and feed together in loose groups.
Laurel Dace Reproduction and Life Cycle
The laurel dace has two black lines that run along its body without breaking. This helps tell it apart from similar fish. Male fish ready to breed have black color covering their chest and the underside of their head.
We don't know much about how laurel dace reproduce because the species is still quite new to science. However, they have been seen around gravel beds with small pebbles. They also spend time near gravel nests made by other fish species. It's still not fully clear exactly what happens during their spawning, but we know they lay eggs in gravel beds.
This habit of laying eggs in gravel beds can be a big problem for them. When dirt and mud wash into the water, they settle into these rocky areas. This can easily smother the eggs and ruin an entire breeding season. Because of this, the laurel dace is at serious risk.
Protecting the Laurel Dace
Because the laurel dace is so rare and lives in only six streams, it has been listed as an endangered species. On September 8, 2011, it officially became protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
The biggest threat to the laurel dace is too much dirt and mud in its spawning grounds. This can happen when plants along the stream banks are removed or when trees are cut down nearby. In the past, the Walden Ridge railroad helped move timber, which led to a lot of logging. Trees near streams are important because their roots hold the soil in place. When these trees are removed, the soil can wash away and erode into the stream, causing more dirt to settle. Mining activities and roadside construction can also cause these problems.
There are also concerns about new projects, like a water pipe crossing a creek where the fish live and building a dam on a stream that feeds into a laurel dace habitat. These activities put the laurel dace in great danger.
However, people are working to protect this fish. In 1992, an organization called Conservation Fisheries Inc. was started. This group helps monitor and restore fish populations that are at risk, like the laurel dace. They work across the southeastern United States. Even though the laurel dace is endangered, it's still found in good numbers in its current habitats. This organization can raise them in special fish farms (hatcheries) and is watching the wild populations closely. They are ready to act if the fish face more serious trouble.
