 Photograph by Richard T. Bryant and Wayne C. Starnes. All rights reserved under applicable copyright law. |
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| Scientific Name | Specimen Records | |||
| Rhinichthys cataractae (Valenciennes) | ATBI Database | |||
| Common Name | ||||
| Longnose dace | ||||
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
| Animalia | Chordata | Actinopterygii | Cypriniformes | Cyprinidae |
| Animals | Vertebrates | Ray-finned Fishes | Carps, Minnows, and Suckers | Carps and Minnows |
The longnose dace inhabits swift riffle areas in cool to cold streams, and often occurs in trout streams. In northern latitudes, it is also found in cold lakes. Hill and Grossman (1987) found that longnose dace spend most of their lifetime in a very limited area with home ranges of perhaps only 10-15 m (30-50 ft) of stream. Rhinichthys are the only Tennessee cyprinids with a nonprotractile premaxilla attached to the snout by a smooth continuation of skin overlying the snout (forming a frenum). They also have a barbel at the tip of the maxilla, small scales, a scaled breast, gill membranes broadly connected to the isthmus, and randomly scattered dark scales on the sides.
Nuptial males develop large, uniserial tubercles on the dorsal surfaces of pectoral fin rays 2-5 or 6, and less conspicuous tubercles mostly concealed by tissue occur on the first ray. Anterior dorsal fin rays and upper and lower caudal fin rays have tubercles partially fused to form ridges. Body scales have a single (occasionally 2) tubercles except on the belly and breast, and small tubercles are scattered over the entire head. Anal and pelvic fins lack tubercles in specimens examined from the Southeast.
SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Size: maximum total length 178 mm (7 in.), but usually 130 mm (5 in.) or less
Color: reddish brown to dark olivaceous on back and upper side; small black spots on pale
lower sides; nuptial males with red lips and red at bases of pectoral, pelvic, and anal fins
Fins: dorsal fin rays 8; anal fin rays 7; pelvic fin rays 8; pectoral fin rays 13-15; principal
caudal fin rays 19
Lateral-line scales: 64-76; predorsal scale rows 30-43
Gill rakers: 8-10; length of longest rakers 1.5-2 times basal width
Vertebrae: 37-41
Pharyngeal teeth: 2,4-4,2
Similar species: The longnose dace is similar to the western blacknose dace, Rhinichthys obtusus, but its paired fins are stiffer, the anterior tip of the lower jaw is slightly posterior to the nostrils (under the nasal septum in R. obtusus), and in nuptial males the pectoral fin tuberculation is more normal, consisting of conical tubercles. Juveniles may also be confused with the stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) and the creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, but the former has a black peritoneum that is visible through the body wall, and the latter has a larger, more terminal mouth. Neither has a frenum or a maxillary barbel.
DISTRIBUTION
North America:
 |
The longnose dace ranges widely in mountainous regions of North America, including both the Rocky Mountains and northwest coastal ranges as well as eastern ranges. It is also found in the north central glaciated regions. The range extends off the map through much of Canada, including the Mackenzie River drainage and Pacific slope. In the Southeast it is virtually restricted to the upper Tennessee River drainage in the Blue Ridge physiographic province, with a few records (populations possibly extirpated) from the middle and lower Cumberland River drainage. |
In Park:
 Click map to enlarge. |
The longnose dace is common throughout the Park, but is more abundant in the Little River (upper portions), Little Tennessee River, and Oconaluftee River systems. It has been found at elevations up to 3,200 ft. |
NATURAL HISTORY
Longnose dace spawn from April to early July in the Southeast. Bartnik (1970) describes spawning behavior as follows. Males defend spawning areas over gravel in swift current, biting at, and butting away, intruders. They court females by following, nudging, nibbling, trembling, and quivering. Submitting females enter the area, push their snouts into the gravel, and spawning occurs. Female western blacknose dace, R. obtusus, are also often courted by longnose males but do not respond. Conversely, male western blacknose dace do not court longnose dace females; hybrids probably seldom occur between these two dace species. However, hybrids are known to occur between longnose dace and Nocomis as well as several other cyprinids (Schwartz 1981). The longnose dace often spawns in the clean gravel nests of other cyprinids as noted by Cooper (1980), who detailed early development in this species.
In Pennsylvania populations, Reed (1959) estimated growth of longnose dace as follows: 56-62 mm (2.2-2.4 in.) total length, 74-78 mm (2.9-3.1 in.), 80-82 mm (3.1-3.2 in.), 86-90 mm (3.4-3.5 in.), and 100-102 mm (3.9-4.0 in.) for ages 1-5, respectively. Females were larger than males by the second year and dominated older age classes, with males disappearing completely from age class 5. Longnose dace feed primarily on aquatic insect immatures with baetid mayfly, blackfly, and midge larvae being very important in the diet (Reed 1959; Gerald 1966).
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Special Protection Status:
Rangewide: Rhinichthys cataractae has no federal or state listing [P. W. Shute, pers. comm., Leader, TVA Natural Heritage Project (February 27, 2001)].
In Park: Rhinichthys cataractae has no special status in the Park. However, all plants and animals are protected in National Parks and collection requires a permit that is usually granted only for scientific or educational purposes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Field work:
N/A
Supporting Institutions:
N/A
Text:
David A. Etnier and Elizabeth L. Etnier.
Photographs:
Richard T. Bryant, Atlanta, Georgia and Wayne C. Starnes, Curator of Fishes, North Carolina State Museum, Raleigh, NC. Copyright 2001 by Richard T. Bryant, all rights reserved.
Drawings:
N/A
Maps:
U.S. Map - Etnier, David A. and Wayne C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press. Knoxville, Tennessee.
Web Page:
REFERENCES
Bartnik, V. G. 1970. Reproductive isolation between two sympatric dace, Rhinichthys atratulus and R. cataractae, in Manitoba. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 27:2125-2141.
Cooper, J. E. 1980. Egg, larval and juvenile development of longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae, and river chub, Nocomis micropogon, with notes on their hybridization. Copeia 1980:469-478.
Etnier, David A. and Wayne C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press. Knoxville, Tennessee.
Gerald, J. W. 1966. Food habits of the longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae. Copeia 1966:478-485.
Hill, J. and G. D. Grossman. 1987. Home range estimates for three North American stream fishes. Copeia 1987:376-380.
Reed, R. J. 1959. Age, growth, and food of the longnose dace, Rhinichthys cataractae, in northwestern Pennsylvania. Copeia 1959:160-162.
Schwartz, F. J. 1981. World literature to fish hybrids with an analysis by family, species, and hybrid: Supplement 1. NOAA Tech. Rpt. NMFS SSRF-750.
Simbeck, Damien J. 1990. Distribution of the Fishes of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Master of Science Thesis, University of Tennessee.
