Little Colorado spinedace
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| Species: | L. vittata
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| Binomial name | |
| Lepidomeda vittata Cope, 1874
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The Little Colorado Spinedace (Lepidomeda vittata) is a species of ray-finned fish in the Cyprinidae family. It is found only in the United States.
Description
The Little Colorado Spinedace are small, generally less than 10 cm in length. The scales are in a lateral line of usually more than 90. The second spine of the dorsal fin is strong. The dorsal fin is moderately high, acute, and its depressed length is 5.2 to 5.8 cm pre-dorsal length. There are eight anal fin rays, and rarely nine. The pharyngeal teeth are in two rows.[1]. The Little Colorado Spinedace sides are usually look at queer ass alahondro
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Habitat
The Little Colorado Spinedace are found in water ranging from 0.16-1.3 meters in depth, but most abundant in depths of around 0.6 meters. The fish are most common in slow to moderate water currents, over fine gravel bottoms. The Little Colorado Spinedace normally avoid deep, heavily-shaded pools and shallow, open areas. The Little Colorado Spinedace generall prefer un-shaded pools with rocks or undercut banks for cover [2]. Temperatures where populations exist generally range from 14-26 degrees Celciis. Young of the year are most abundant on uniformly turbulent riffles 10 to 25 cm in depth [3].
Population Trends
The Little Colorado Spinedace populations fluctuate dramatically from year to year, and probably reflect cyclic periods of drought and/or increased rainfall. Populations are thought to be declining however, due to alteration of habitat through reduced stream flow and interaction with introduced non-native fishes.[4]
Management Factors
Limiting factors include road construction, timber harvest operations, stream gravel removal and chemical treatment of streams. Additional limiting factors and concerns include decreased stream flow, impoundment of water, and interaction with and predation by, introduced exotic fishes [5]. Predation by rainbow trout has been strongly suggested as an important factor in the success and distribution of L. vittata [6].
Threats: stream flow reduction; habitat alteration and competition with nonnative crayfishes; predation by and competition with non-native fishes.
Management Needs: Little Colorado Spinedace management areas need to be created; populations and watersheds of existing Little Colorado Spinedace must be conserved; the effects of non-native fishes in Little Colorado Spinedace habitats must also be limited.
References
- Gimenez Dixon, M. 1996. Lepidomeda vittata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 July 2007.
- ^ Minckley, W.L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Arizona Game and fish Department, Phoenix. pp. 109-111.
- ^ Hill, J., O.E. Maughan and L. Thompson. 1989. Endangered species information system: Little Colorado River Spinedace (“Lepidomeda vittata”). Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, University of Arizona, Tucson. p. 13.
- ^ Minckley, W.L. and L.H. Carufel. 1967. The Little Colorado River Spinedace, “Lepidomeda vittata”, in Arizona. The Southwestern Naturalist 12(3):291-302.
- ^ http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/edits/documents/Lepivitt.fo_000.pdf
- ^ Minckley, W.L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Arizona Game and fish Department, Phoenix. pp. 109-111.
- ^ Blinn, D.W., C. Runck, D.A. Clark and J.N. Rinne. 1993. Effects of Rainbow Trout predation on Little Colorado Spinedace. in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 122:139-143.