Topic
Rio Grande shiner
About: Rio Grande shiner is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2 publications have been published within this topic receiving 11 citations. The topic is also known as: Notropis jemezanus.
Papers
TL;DR: 2 direct visual observations of the young-of-year of 4 species of pelagic-broadcast spawning minnows dispersing upstream en masse are described and it is suggested that such dispersal events are important for maintenance of populations in upstream areas.
Abstract: Pelagic-broadcast spawning minnows are a reproductive guild of fishes, of which several species occur in the American Great Plains and Southwest. The eggs and larvae of these species drift laterally and downstream, with drift distances varying depending on channel conditions and flow. Persistence or recolonization of these species in upstream reaches must depend on retention of eggs and larvae or upstream dispersal of later life stages, otherwise net downstream displacement of eggs and larvae would result in upstream extirpations. However, only a few individuals of several species have been observed dispersing. Here, we describe 2 direct visual observations of the young-of-year of 4 species of pelagic-broadcast spawning minnows dispersing upstream en masse. In August 2009, we observed Plains Minnow (Hybognathus placitus), Speckled Chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis), and Rio Grande Shiner (Notropis jemezanus) dispersing upstream. The continuous shoal of fish was >200 m in length and was dispersing upstream at a rate of >1000 fish/min. In July 2017, we observed a continuous shoal of Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus amarus) approximately 1.9 km in length dispersing upstream at a rate between 350 and 1500 fish/min. While such dispersal events are rarely observed, they may be important for maintenance of populations in upstream areas.
TL;DR: Extensive survey efforts in the lower Rio Grande and its tributaries in Texas document significant range contraction and near extirpation of N. jemezanus from this part of the basin; highlighting the need for immediate action to protect the species.
Abstract: The Rio Grande drainage of the southwestern United States and Mexico has undergone intense anthropogenic alteration by water diversions, extraction and associated habitat changes. These alterations have disproportionately impacted the pelagic broadcast spawning guild of minnows (pelagophils). Several Rio Grande endemic pelagophils, including the co-occurring Rio Grande Shiner (Notropis jemezanus) and Speckled Chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis), have experienced dramatic recent range-wide declines yet have slipped under the radar of conservation efforts. The status of N. jemezanus and M. aestivalis in the Rio Grande and Pecos River was evaluated and standing genetic variation was characterized. Genetic evidence indicates that populations of both species found in the Rio Grande and Pecos River are genetically distinct. Additionally, 159 outlier loci were identified in M. aestivalis suggesting possible local adaptation in the Rio Grande and Pecos River populations. Though range-wide genetic data are limited, N. jemezanus populations in both rivers harbor considerable genetic diversity. Mitochondrial data from both taxa are consistent with a history of secondary contact between formerly isolated populations with deeply divergent haplotypes found within the Rio Grande and Pecos River populations of N. jemezanus and within the Rio Grande population of M. aestivalis. Extensive survey efforts in the lower Rio Grande and its tributaries in Texas document significant range contraction and near extirpation of N. jemezanus from this part of the basin; highlighting the need for immediate action to protect the species.
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2018 | 1 |