Pugnose Shiner
Notropis anogenus
Species Description
The Pugnose Shiner is a member of the Cyprinidae family (Carps and Minnows). This shiner is small, averaging 5cm in length, with a very small, almost vertical, upturned mouth and a dark lateral stripe extending across its body. Pugnose Shiner are mostly silver in colour except during spawning, when the males change to a bright, eye-catching gold.
Habitat
Pugnose Shiner prefer the cool, clear, shallow waters of heavily vegetated coastal wetlands, slow-moving rivers, and sheltered areas of large lakes.
Wait, that name sounds familiar…
Be sure not to confuse the Pugnose Shiner and Pugnose Minnow – they are two separate species with similar sounding common names.
Distribution in the Sydenham
Pugnose Shiner are found in central North America in drainage basins of the Great Lakes, the upper Mississippi River, and upper Red River. It is a globally rare species that is disappearing from much of its range. In Canada, it is found in five main areas: southern Lake Huron tributaries, Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, eastern Lake Ontario, and upper St. Lawrence River drainage.
In the lower Sydenham watershed and immediate surrounding area, Pugnose Shiner have been documented in Lake St. Clair, Chenal Ecarte, coastal marshes of Walpole Island, Whitebread Drain/Grape Run, Maxwell Creek, and Little Bear Creek. Most of these records are a result of surveys by Fisheries and Oceans Canada that used a variety of sampling techniques and took place between 2002 and 2010.
Threats to Pugnose Shiner
The main threat to the Pugnose Shiner is habitat degradation, including the alteration and destruction of wetlands, removal of aquatic vegetation, and increased erosion from shoreline development. Waterbodies where this fish currently lives are becoming less suitable due to soil washing into the water from nearby urban and agricultural development. Habitat alteration often involves physically removing vegetation from shallow littoral zones and the replacement of native vegetation by invasive species like the Eurasian Watermilfoil. As a species sensitive to habitat degradation and turbidity, the Pugnose Shiner is often associated with good environmental conditions and is therefore an ecological indicator.
Video by Pinegrove Productions about Pugnose Shiner and habitat restoration efforts in the Ausable, a watershed that neighbours the Sydenham.