Cahaba Shiner
Encyclopedia
The Cahaba Shiner is a rare species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Alabama
in the United States, where it is limited to the Cahaba River
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This fish was first described in 1989. It is similar to its close relative, the Mimic Shiner
(Notropis volucellus). The Cahaba Shiner is about 2.5 inches long (6.35 centimeters). It is silver in color with a dark lateral stripe and a peach-colored
lateral stripe above.
This fish has been collected from about 76 miles of the Cahaba River, but as of the early 1990s its range had been reduced to about 60 miles of the river. Most individuals of the species are located in a 15-mile stretch of the waterway. It may have once occurred in the Coosa River
, but if so, it has been extirpated
from there. The reduction in range has been caused by the degradation of water quality in the river system, the result of urbanization and sedimentation.
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
in the United States, where it is limited to the Cahaba River
Cahaba River
The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama and is among the most scenic and biologically diverse rivers in the United States. The Cahaba River is a major tributary of the Alabama River and part of the larger Mobile River Basin...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This fish was first described in 1989. It is similar to its close relative, the Mimic Shiner
Mimic Shiner
Mimic Shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.- References :* Robert Jay Goldstein, Rodney W. Harper, Richard Edwards: American Aquarium Fishes. Texas A&M University Press 2000, ISBN 9780890968802, p. 98...
(Notropis volucellus). The Cahaba Shiner is about 2.5 inches long (6.35 centimeters). It is silver in color with a dark lateral stripe and a peach-colored
Peach (color)
Peach is a color that is named for the pale color of the peach fruit. Like the color apricot, the color called peach is paler than most actual peach fruits and seems to have been formulated primarily to create a pastel palette of colors for interior design...
lateral stripe above.
This fish has been collected from about 76 miles of the Cahaba River, but as of the early 1990s its range had been reduced to about 60 miles of the river. Most individuals of the species are located in a 15-mile stretch of the waterway. It may have once occurred in the Coosa River
Coosa River
The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia. The river is about long altogether.The Coosa River is one of Alabama's most developed rivers...
, but if so, it has been extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from there. The reduction in range has been caused by the degradation of water quality in the river system, the result of urbanization and sedimentation.
External links
- Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. Notropis cahabae. 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 3 October 2011.