Tennessee dace

rdf:langString Tennessee dace

rdf:langString Tennessee dace

rdf:langString

rdf:langString Chrosomus

rdf:langString August

rdf:langString tennesseensis

rdf:langString VU

rdf:langString IUCN3.1

rdf:langString Phoxinus tennesseensis (Starnes & Jenkins, 1988)

rdf:langString Chrosomus tennesseensis

rdf:langString The Tennessee dace (Chrosomus tennesseensis) is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is found only in the United States; particularly in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, and parts of extreme northwest Georgia. Until recently, they were considered a subspecies of mountain redbelly dace. They are commonly found in East Tennessee in spring fed first-order streams, often in silt and fine gravel pools, or undercut banks. These streams usually do not exceed two meters in width. Like all Tennessee species in the genus Chrosomus, Tennessee dace have tiny scales and scaled breasts. They usually have scarlet bellies, and are considered one of the most beautiful native fish in Tennessee. Tennessee dace are considered nest associate spawners, using central stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) and common creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) nests as spawning grounds. There is evidence to suggest that the Tennessee dace can interbreed with the common creek chub. Spawning for Tennessee dace starts in April and extends into July. Both males and females gain even more coloration during the breeding season. Their diet is similar to that of other dace species, consisting mainly of attached algal growth. Historically, Tennessee dace have only been found in 62 locations. Due to limited distribution and other factors, they are considered "in need of management" in Tennessee. Future threats include human development and climate change.