Fishing Ontario Canada
Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atrarulus)


Distribution in the Local Area:

Kamaniskeg Lake, Tait Lake,

Name:

Rhinichthys, from the Greek, "snout fish"
atratulus, from the Greek, "wearing black", as for mourning Common Name from the dark band which runs across its nose .
Other common names include: brook minnow, dace, eastern blacknose dace, potbelly, redfin dace, slicker, striped dace, western blacknose dace

Taxonomy:

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata, animals with a spinal chord
Subphylum Vertebrata, animals with a backbone
Superclass Osteichthyes, bony fishes
Class Actinopterygii, ray-finned and spiny rayed fishes
Subclass Neopterygii
Infraclass Teleostei
Superorder Ostariophysi
Order Cypriniformes, minnows and suckers
Family Cyprinidae, carps and minnows
Genus Rhinichthys, the riffle daces

Description:

A small minnow of rivers and streams.
Length:

2"-3", up to 4"

Coloration:

olive-green, brownish to black above
darkened spots on the side giving a mottled appearance.
light beneath
peritoneum silvery colored
dark band, from which the fish acquires its common name, runs across the nose and down both lateral edges to the caudal peduncle. dusky lateral band is outlined above by a row of light scales. Spawning males develop a pink to red-colored lateral band.

Body:

complete lateral line of 62-71 scales
dorsal and pelvic fins of 8 rays
anal fin of 7 rays
pectoral fins of 13-16 rays

Head:

mouth sub-terminal; oblique with equal length jaws barbel present on the posterior tip of the jaw upper lip attached to the snout without a groove (a feature known as a frenulum), which is characteristic of Rhinicthys.
Hooked pharyngeal teeth in a 2, 4-4, 2 pattern.

Habitat:

Prefers small streams. Often found in streams with brook trout

Food Habits:

Largely aquatic insects insects, worms, arachnids, mites, larval fish, algae, and detritus.

Uses:

Sometimes used as bait and quite hardy.

Reproduction:

Mature by age 2 . Spawning occurs April to July in shallow water at 15.6-22°C, over gravel and rubble where both the male and female construct a nest of small pebbles. After spawning, little parental care is given the eggs..

Fecundity is 375-9,142 eggs per female Young range from 1½" to 2" in length by the end of the first season.

Similar species:

Longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)