Mimic shiner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mimic shiner |
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The mimic shiner (Notropis volucellus) is a small freshwater fish found in North America. It belongs to the Notropis family, often called "eastern shiners." This fish lives in many places, including the Hudson Bay and Great Lakes areas. It also lives in much of the Mississippi River basin and parts of the Gulf of Mexico. You can even find it along the Atlantic Coast in some rivers.
Mimic shiners are hard to identify because they look very similar to other shiner fish. Some scientists even think this species might be a group of several very similar, hidden species. These fish usually live for about three years. They become old enough to have babies after one year. Their diet includes small water creatures and insects.
People think mimic shiners have spread to new areas because they were used as bait by fishermen. Since this fish is not considered endangered, there are not many special efforts to protect it right now.
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Where Mimic Shiners Live
Mimic shiners have lived in many parts of North America for a long time. They were mostly found in the southern Hudson Bay and Great Lakes areas. They also lived in much of the Mississippi River basin. You could find them along the Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Today, you can still find them in these places. They are also found in new areas like the Susquehanna River in New York. They live in parts of the Connecticut River and Housatonic River in Massachusetts.
Sometimes, mimic shiners disappear from certain areas. This might happen because of changes to their habitat. Things like building new towns or changing how rivers flow can affect them. When there is less plant life along riverbanks, water flows faster. This can cause riverbanks to wash away. Mimic shiners prefer slow to moderate currents, so these changes can make it hard for them to live there.
Mimic Shiner's Environment and Food
Mimic shiners usually live in clear, sandy pools in small rivers and creeks. They also like quiet parts of large lakes. They avoid very small streams or swampy areas. In streams, they are often in clear pools with gravel bottoms. In lakes, they can be found along shorelines with gravel, sand, or mud. They like water that moves slowly or moderately. You can often see them swimming in schools near the surface or in the middle of the water.
Since mimic shiners are small, many bigger fish hunt them. Some of their predators include northern pike, walleye, and largemouth bass. Other predators are black crappie, yellow perch, and brown bullhead.
The mimic shiner's diet changes with the seasons. In early spring and late fall, they mostly eat tiny water fleas called Daphnia. In summer, when Daphnia are not as common, they eat other small water creatures. They also eat tiny plants called filamentous algae and small insects. One study found Daphnia in most shiner stomachs. Younger mimic shiners often eat tiny crustaceans. Older shiners eat different invertebrates and sometimes a lot of algae.
Sometimes, fish can absorb harmful chemicals like mercury from polluted water. This is called bioaccumulation. While larger fish are often studied for this, smaller fish like the mimic shiner can also be affected. High mercury levels in water could cause mimic shiners to disappear from some areas.
Mimic Shiner Life Cycle and Reproduction
Mimic shiners typically live for about three years. In places like Tennessee, they become ready to reproduce after their first year. The time they lay eggs, called spawning, changes depending on where they live. This is because of differences in seasons and water temperature. For example, in Minnesota, they spawn from May to August. In Alabama, it's from mid-April to early August.
Male mimic shiners develop special bumps called nuptial tubercles during breeding season. In Tennessee, these bumps appear from late May to early October. This suggests they might have a longer breeding season there. In lakes, mimic shiners gather in large groups to lay eggs over beds of water plants. We don't know much about where they lay eggs in streams yet. Bigger female fish lay more eggs. A female can lay between 74 and 386 eggs. These eggs stick to surfaces and sink to the bottom.
Because spawning depends on temperature, climate change could affect when and where mimic shiners reproduce. There hasn't been much research on this specific fish yet. Also, human activities like building and cutting down trees can change how fast water flows in streams. They can also make the water cloudy. Mimic shiners need clear water with slow currents and plants to reproduce. Changes to their homes could make it hard for them to have babies.
Protecting Mimic Shiners
Some areas report that the number of mimic shiners has gone down a lot. For example, Ohio's Department of Natural Resources says they used to be everywhere in Ohio. Now, they are not as common. A study also showed that mimic shiners are sensitive to changes in their environment. This means their numbers might decrease when their habitat is disturbed.
However, many other places consider this fish to be an invasive species. This means it has been introduced to areas where it doesn't naturally belong. People believe mimic shiners spread to new places because they were used as bait by fishermen. They were even used as food for other fish in some hatcheries.
Not many groups are working to protect the mimic shiner specifically. This is because it is not listed as an endangered species. The IUCN Red List, which tracks threatened species, says the mimic shiner population is stable. Its conservation status is "least concern."
While pollution and dams are big problems for water ecosystems, this fish is not reported to need help with conservation. Instead of needing protection, it needs to be prevented from spreading to new areas. If they are introduced to new places, they could compete with local fish for food and resources. This could cause problems for the native fish populations.
