11 replies to this topic

[centrarchid]

What minnow species in Missouri could close it life cycle in a spring with only a couple thousand square feet of surface area and where temperature likely does not exceed 58 F at any time during the year, not even on the shallows.  Images to be made of what appear to be juveniles tomorrow.  Also present are sculpin which expected to tolerate such conditions.

[Isaac Szabo]

Southern redbelly dace are one of the main minnow species I associate with springs around here, but there are other possibilities as well. It's impossible to say without a photo or more information. Does the spring have an outflow connecting it to a stream?

[centrarchid]

No in at least the last decade.  Fish population either can go underground or go through a fish hatchery which not likely.

[centrarchid]

We caught some Red-Bellied Daces below spring that may be same as those occurring in the isolated spring.  Young in reach below spring much larger that those captured earlier within spring itself.  I am having trouble assigning the fish to either Southern Red-Bellied Dace or Northern Red-Bellied Dace which is problem I had before with other dace populations I found in Missouri,  The Southern Red-Bellied Dace of Southern Indiana and Illinois are so much more consistent.

[Isaac Szabo]

They must be Southern Redbelly Dace since that is the only dace species occurring in MO.

[centrarchid]

Someone needs to revisit that range map or look at the "Southern" Redbelly Daces a little closer.

[Isaac Szabo]

You're probably right. I've noticed differences between populations in the Ozarks and populations east of the Mississippi River. But I have no experience with the northern populations, so I don't know where they fit in.

[Matt DeLaVega]

The Oklahoma SRBD were certainly funky looking. Almost MRBD looking.

[centrarchid]

Same locality supports strong population of sculpin like your avatar.  They are coming into breeding condition.  Land owner / fish farmer actually excited to see the natives in his stream.  In past we was not so positive but now seeing their value.  Looking at them through wall of a jar helped greatly.

[Isaac Szabo]

The Oklahoma SRBD were certainly funky looking. Almost MRBD looking.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if there is an "Ozark Dace" someday.

 

Same locality supports strong population of sculpin like your avatar.  They are coming into breeding condition.  Land owner / fish farmer actually excited to see the natives in his stream.  In past we was not so positive but now seeing their value.  Looking at them through wall of a jar helped greatly.

They could be Mottled, Ozark, or Knobfin, depending on location. That's great that the landowner is developing an appreciation for them just by becoming more aware of them and getting to see them up close.

[Doug_Dame]

Land owner / fish farmer actually excited to see the natives in his stream.  In past we was not so positive but now seeing their value.  Looking at them through wall of a jar helped greatly.

 

THIS !

 

Whenever anyone asks what I'm doing, and it's possible (*),  I always offer to show people the fish in my collecting bottle. Very few people turn that offer down, and most have no idea what's below the surface of waters most of them have driven by 100s of times.

 

Real good P.R., real easy P.R.

 

 

* not so easy if the person has stopped on top of a bridge, and I'm 30 ft lower in the crick. 

[Matt DeLaVega]

Yeah that is great when people get into it. You can usually guess by their questions whether you should tell them what you are actually doing, or when it is just time to say looking for bait. Funny who you meet sometimes. Last week I met a young guy from Akron Ohio in the Smokies who knew Brian Zimmerman, Nate Tessler and Andrew Zimmerman. Small world.