Fatlips minnow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fatlips minnow |
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The fatlips minnow (Phenacobius crassilabrum) is a small fish that belongs to the minnow family. It's called "fatlips" because its scientific name, crassilabrum, comes from Latin words meaning "thick" or "fat" and "lip". This fish was first discovered and described in the upper Tennessee River system. Scientists studied at least 20 different fatlips minnows to learn about them. The very first one found was an adult female, about 8 millimetres (0.31 in) long, from the Elk River in 1947.
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Where do fatlips minnows live?
The fatlips minnow lives only in North America. You can find it in the upper parts of the Tennessee River system. This includes areas in western Virginia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, and northeastern Georgia.
What kind of home do they like?
These minnows prefer clear, warm water in small to medium-sized streams and rivers. They especially like areas with gravel and riffles. Riffles are shallow, fast-moving parts of a stream where the water flows over rocks.
Scientists believe the fatlips minnow came from a fish similar to Phenacobius catostomus. It's also closely related to another minnow called P. uranops. These two types of minnows live in different parts of the Tennessee River system, with the fatlips minnow preferring higher places. Sometimes, fatlips minnows are found in places they don't usually live. This often happens when fishermen release their unused baitfish into local waters.
What do fatlips minnows eat?
Fatlips minnows usually stay close to the bottom of streams. They search in the gravel and mud for their food. Their diet mainly consists of detritus (tiny bits of decaying plants and animals) and small aquatic insects. They particularly enjoy eating the young forms (called larvae) of insects like mayfly and caddisfly.
Life cycle and reproduction
Scientists haven't directly seen fatlips minnows breeding yet. However, other types of Phenacobius minnows usually lay their eggs in spring and summer, from April to August. When they spawn, they do so in their favorite gravelly riffles. This allows the tiny eggs to settle into the small spaces and cracks within the riverbed. Most minnows in this group live for about three years.
Are fatlips minnows in danger?
Even though there aren't as many fatlips minnows as some other fish in their habitat, their population is considered stable. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists them as a species of least concern. This means they are not currently at high risk of extinction.
However, one thing to watch out for is when fish that don't naturally belong in the fatlips minnow's area are introduced. These non-native fish can compete for food and living space, which could affect the fatlips minnow population.
