Red Shiner

cyprinella lutrensis

The Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) is a small, highly adaptable freshwater fish native to the central United States, particularly the Mississippi River basin and Gulf Coast drainages. Known for its stunning transformation during the breeding season, males develop brilliant, iridescent colors that rival those of tropical aquarium fish. Because of this striking appearance and their hardy nature, they have historically been popular in the aquarium trade and widely used as bait by anglers. Unfortunately, this exact hardiness has made the Red Shiner a problematic invasive species outside of its natural range. Due to bait bucket releases, they have established populations in numerous western watersheds. In these introduced habitats, they often outcompete native species, hybridize with closely related fish, and thrive in degraded waters where more sensitive natives perish. Despite this ecological controversy, they remain a fascinating study in adaptability and aquatic resilience.

生息地: Found primarily in the shallow, slower-moving pools of creeks and small rivers, often thriving in highly turbid or degraded waters with sand or silt substrates.

外見

The Red Shiner is a deep-bodied, laterally compressed minnow typically measuring 4 to 9 centimeters in length. Non-breeding males and females are primarily silvery-olive with a faint lateral band and plain fins. However, during the breeding season, males undergo a dramatic visual shift: their sides take on an iridescent blue or violet hue, the scales develop dark, diamond-shaped outlines, and all fins except the dorsal fin turn a vibrant, blood-red or orange color. They feature a terminal, slightly oblique mouth and lack barbels, which helps distinguish them from some other minnow species.

界Animalia門Chordata綱Actinopterygii目Cypriniformes科Leuciscidae属Cyprinella

Red Shiner

カテゴリ

魚類

レア度

Common

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

スナップ

最初にスナップしよう！

おもしろい事実

Because they are heavily used as bait by anglers, accidental 'bait bucket releases' have caused massive ecological disruption by introducing them to rivers far outside their natural range.

During the breeding season, males develop such brilliant blue bodies and blood-red fins that they have earned the colloquial nickname 'rainbow dace'.

Red Shiners are fractional spawners, meaning females produce multiple, smaller batches of eggs over a long breeding season rather than dropping them all at once.

They communicate and assert dominance during breeding using a combination of visual displays, rapid fin movements, and distinct acoustic sounds generated in the water.

特殊能力

They deposit their sticky eggs into tight crevices of rocks, submerged logs, or roots to protect them from swift currents and predators.

Capable of surviving in highly turbid, low-oxygen, and polluted waters that are typically lethal to more sensitive native fish species.

They are known to opportunistically deposit their eggs in the active nests of sunfish, taking advantage of the larger fish's aggressive nest-guarding behavior.

サイズと詳細

長さ: 4-9 cm
体重: 0.001-0.005 kg
寿命: 2-3 年
一度の産卵数: 400-1200
抱卵期間: 3-5 日

食性と食事

They feed opportunistically on a wide mix of aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial insects that fall into the water, and plant matter.

年齢による違い: Larvae feed almost exclusively on microscopic zooplankton and rotifers, shifting to larger macroinvertebrates and algae as they grow.

主な食物

Aquatic insect larvae
Terrestrial insects
Zooplankton
Algae
Plant detritus

採餌方法

Foraging

生態系とのつながり

eaten by

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Frequently preyed upon by larger predatory game fish.

competitor

Arroyo Chub

Gila orcuttii

Outcompetes this native cyprinid for food and breeding grounds in introduced California habitats.

parasite

Asian Fish Tapeworm

Bothriocephalus acheilognathi

Acts as an intermediate host and vector for introduced parasites, spreading them to new watersheds.

特徴

このオブジェクトにはまだ特徴バッジが割り当てられていません。

別名

まだ別名はありません。

コレクション

テーマが追加されると、このオブジェクトのコレクションがここに表示されます。

安全性

危険度

1/5 · 非常に低い

まだ特別な安全上の注意はありません。

よくある質問

Red Shinerを見分けるには？

Red Shinerを識別する最も簡単な方法は、Snappit自然識別アプリを使用することです。

Red Shinerの長さは何ですか？

4-9 cm

Red Shinerの体重は何ですか？

0.001-0.005 kg

Red Shinerの寿命は何ですか？

2-3 年

Red Shinerは何を食べますか？

They feed opportunistically on a wide mix of aquatic invertebrates, terrestrial insects that fall into the water, and plant matter.

Red Shinerは通常どこに生息していますか？

Found primarily in the shallow, slower-moving pools of creeks and small rivers, often thriving in highly turbid or degraded waters with sand or silt substrates.

Red Shinerはどのように狩りをしますか？

Foraging

Red Shinerの一度の産卵数は何ですか？

400-1200