Slim minnow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slim minnow |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Distribution of Pimephalus tenellus (pale native, dark introduced) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Hyborhynchus tenellus Girard, 1856 |
The slim minnow (Pimephales tenellus) is a small, freshwater ray-finned fish. It belongs to the family Cyprinidae, which includes carps and other minnows. This fish is special because it lives only in the Ozarks region of the United States. You can find it in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Contents
What the Slim Minnow Looks Like
The slim minnow has a long, round body. It looks a bit like the bluntnose minnow. Its snout, or nose, is blunt, and its mouth is slightly angled. The upper lip is thicker in the middle than at the sides.
This fish has a dark stripe along its side. It also has a large eye, which is about a quarter the size of its head. Its back is dark olive, and its belly is creamy white. The dark stripe ends in a spot near its tail fin. Sometimes, there's a small dark spot on the front of its top fin.
When males are ready to breed, they change. They grow three rows of small bumps called tubercles on their head. Their top, bottom, and tail fins turn orange. Their pectoral fins (side fins) become black with a white front edge. Often, their whole head turns black too.
The slim minnow is the smallest fish in its genus Pimephales. Adult fish are usually about 51 millimeters (2 inches) long. The longest they get is about 69 millimeters (2.7 inches). It has 8 soft rays in its rounded top fin and 7 in its bottom fin.
Where the Slim Minnow Lives
You can find the slim minnow in southern Missouri, eastern Kansas, Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. They live mainly in the Ozarks area. They are common in the river systems of the Red and Arkansas rivers. They also live in some smaller rivers that flow into the Mississippi River.
Sometimes, they have been found in a pond in Kansas. Scientists think these fish were probably released there by people using them as bait for fishing.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Slim minnows like to live in creeks and small rivers. They prefer areas with sandy or gravel bottoms. They are social fish and swim together in groups called schools. You can often see them swimming in the middle or near the bottom of the water. Unlike some other minnows, they often swim in the current.
Reproduction
Slim minnows usually breed from May to July. They are thought to lay their eggs in fast-moving parts of the river called riffles.
During breeding season, male slim minnows become territorial. This means they pick a spot, like a crevice in a stone, and guard it as their nest. They try to attract females to their nest. When a female comes, she presses against the male and lays her eggs on the underside of the rock. The male then fertilizes the eggs.
The eggs stick together in a cluster under the rock. After laying the eggs, the female leaves. The male stays to guard the eggs, keep them clean, and make sure they get enough oxygen. Males will try to mate with any female that comes by.
The eggs hatch after about 6 days. The baby fish, called fry, then drop to the bottom. Once they hatch, the father stops caring for them. Other adult fish sometimes eat the fry. A female slim minnow can lay between 37 and 209 eggs in one season. On average, they lay about 83 eggs.
See also
In Spanish: Pimephales tenellus para niños
