Ammocrypta Pellucida

istributio drainageFirst record basin of (Agassiz, 1863) D (Actinopterygii: Perciformes) from the Lake Ontario 1 2 raphic g eo Scott Reid * and Alan Dextrase

G 1 n o

Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, DNA Bldg, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8,[email protected] Canada

otes 2 Biodiversity Policy Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, 300 Water Street, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 8M5, Canada

N * Corresponding author. E-mail: Abstract: Ammocrypta pellucida

The objective of this paper is to document the first occurrence of in the Lake Ontario newbasin occurrence from samples is in collected the middle in Westof these Lake, two Ontario distributional (Canada) elements in 2013. and Prior suggests to this that record, further the inventoryknown range efforts of thisare warrantedimperilled in species the intervening consisted area. of two disjunct elements in eastern North America separated by about 500 km. The

10.15560/10.5.1201

DOI:

Ammocrypta pellucida with a bag seine (15.2 m × 2.4 m with 6.4 mm mesh and a 2.4 m × 2.4 m × 2.4 m bag with 3.2 mm mesh). The The Eastern Sand Darter identity of a voucher specimen preserved in 10% buffered (Agassiz, 1863) is a small, benthic fish with translucent flesh and an elongate body, almost round in cross-section (Scott 1955). Its occurrence is strongly associated with formalin was confirmed by Erling Holm, Assistant Curator unsilted sand substrates of streams and rivers, and sandy of Ichthyology, Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Ontario) shoals in lakes (Scott and Crossman 1973; Daniels 1993; (ROM 95756). O’Brien and Facey 2008). The species only occurs in Subsequent fall sampling (16–19 September 2013) eastern North America, where its range has two disjunct by OMNR and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) staff elements separated by about 500 km. The southwestern presenceyielded 866 of individualsa relatively (Figure large and 2). Easternhealthy Sandpopulation Darter element includes the Ohio River basin and the lower total lengths ranged from 23 to 69 mm suggesting the Laurentian Great Lakes drainage, and the northeasternet al. Etheostoma exile element includes St. Lawrence River and Lac Champlain ((FigureEtheostoma 3). Other nigrum benthic fishes captured include:Percina Iowa ofdrainages the genus (Scott Ammocrypta and Crossman 1973; Lee 1980; caprodesDarter ( [Girard, 1859]), JohnnyNeogobius Darter Figure 1). The Eastern Sand Darter is the only member melanostomus Rafinesque, 1820), Logperch ( found in Canada. In Ontario (Noturus [Rafinesque,gyrinus 1818]), Round Goby ( southwestern(Canada), its part distribution of the province. was formerly considered to [Pallas, 1814]) and Tadpole Madtom be limited to riverine and Great Lakes habitats in the [Mitchill, 1817]). Fishes were seined sampledfrom 37 sites are distributedadjacent to along a barrier four kmsand of shallowdune formation (0.2–1.3 degradationEastern Sand(e.g., Darter populations are in decline m depth), sandy habitat along the western shore. Habitats throughout its range, likely in response to habitat siltation of fine sand habitats). In the samplingin a provincially units (a protected 20 m long area unit that and separates a 10 m Westlong unit)Lake province of Ontario (Canada), four of the 11 known andfrom separated Lake Ontario by a minimum (Figure 2). of Sites20 m. wereTwo different divided inseines two 2012)populations and globally are believed vulnerable extirpated. (G3) Easternby the International Sand Darter has been assessed as Threatened in Canada (COSEWIC minimumwere used distance to improve required the to likelihood properly deploy of Eastern each seine. Sand Union for the Conservation of Nature (Gimenez Dixon Darter capture. Unit lengths were defined based on the 1996). The species has also been assessed as Threatened or Endangered in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and andThe a20 1.8 m m unit × 1.8 was m sampled× 1.8 m with with 3.2 five mm repeated mesh). haulsThe 10 of m a in the following neighbouring Great Lakes states (USA): beach seine (1.8 m × 9.1 m seine with 4.8 mm wing mesh Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. The objective of this paper is to document the first betweenunit was successivesampled with hauls. five repeated hauls of a bag seine occurrence of Eastern Sand Darter in the Lake Ontario (see previous description). At least five minutes elapsed basin. On 12–13 June 2013, nine individuals were collected from three sampling locations in West Lake, Ontario Sampling was undertaken with the following permits, (43°56′11″ N, 77°17′00″ W) by Ontario Ministry of Natural approvals and authorizations: DFO Species-at-Risk-Act Resources (OMNR) staff (Figure 1). Collections were made permit 13-014, OMNR Aquatic Research and Development 1201 Reid and Dextrase | West Lake Ammocrypta pellucida

Figure 2.

Adult Eastern Sand Darter (62 mm TL) collected from West Lake, Ontario, 19 September 2013 (upper) and the barrier sand dune formation adjacent to collection sites (lower). Photographs by Alan Dextrase. Figure 1. at Risk Act allows for the assessment and listing of

Global range of Eastern Sand Darter (grey shaded area; modified from Page and Burr [1991]) and location of West Lake population (black geographically or genetically distinct populations. Eastern star) (upper) and sampling area within West Lake (lower). Sand Darter in Québec and Ontario were assessed and listed as two distinct populations under the Act based Section Animal Care Committee Approval #116, and on the ~500 km gap between their ranges. It is not clear Ontario Parks Letter of Authorization to Conduct Research twowhether populations the fish inor West if the Lake concept (which of geographic is in the middle distinction of this in a Provincial Park (Targeted Fish Species at Risk Sampling 500 km gap) should be considered as part of one of these in Sandbanks Provincial Park). Most of the contemporary range of the Eastern Sand now needs to be revisited. A recent study of range-wide Darter was glaciated during the Wisconsin glaciation and genetics found distinctions between populations in Lake these waterways were recolonized from a Mississippian Champlain/St. Lawrence River drainages and the rest of glacial refugium (Hocutt and Wiley 1986). Smith (1986) the species’ range (Ginson 2012). The genetic affinities of stated that its absence from the Lake Ontario basin suggests that the Eastern Sand Darter may have colonized Lake Champlain (and St. Lawrence River) drainages through glacial connections in the Mohawk Valley and Glacial Lake Albany. However, Williams (1975) suggested that absence from the Lake Ontario drainage may be due to a lack of suitable habitat or recent extirpations associated havewith been habitat more alterations. suitable during Mandrak the warmer (1990) climate hypothesized of the that habitat conditions in the Lake Ontario basin may

Hypisthermal Period (8500–5000 YBP) with subsequent degradation. The presence of Eastern Sand Darter in West Lake demonstrates that the species accessed the Lake Ontario basin through post-glacial dispersal routes associated with Glacial Lake Iroquois. Figure 3. The discovery of Eastern Sand Darter in West LakeSpecies of the Lake Ontario basin has several important conservation Length frequency distribution of Eastern Sand Darter seined from West Lake, Ontario (September, 2013). implications for this imperilled species. Canada’s 1202 Reid and Dextrase | West Lake Ammocrypta pellucida

(Ammocrypta pellucida of Windsor. 116 pp. ). M.Sc.The Dissertation. Zoogeography Windsor: of North University American the West Lake population are unknown, but tissue samples Freshwater Fishes thatcollected there in may2013 be are additional currently beingundiscovered analyzed. populations Finally, the Hocutt, C.H. and E.O. Wiley. 1986. discovery of Eastern Sand Darter in West Lake suggests . New AtlasYork: Wiley-Interscience.of North American 880Freshwater pp. Fishes. Lee, Publication D.S., C.R. Gilbert,Number C.H. 1980-12 Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister and J.R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. arein the warranted drainages in of areasLake Ontarioof suitable and Upperhabitat St. within Lawrence this The Zoogeography. Raleigh: of Ontario North Freshwater Carolina Fishes. Biological River in Ontario and New York. Targeted inventory efforts History Survey. 867 pp. Mandrak, N.E. 1990. M.Sc. been limited. Ammocryptadissertation. Toronto:pellucida University of Toronto. 190 pp. Canadian region where past sampling for small benthic fishes has O’Brien,Field-Naturalist S.M. and D.E. Facey. 2008. Habitat use by the Eastern Sand Darter, Acknowledgments: index.php/cfn/article/view/606, in two Lake). Champlain tributaries. 122(3):239–246A Field ( Guidehttp://canadianfieldnaturalist.ca/ to Freshwater Fishes of North Field sampling was supported by Ontario Ministry America North of Mexico. of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada Page, L.M. and B.M.Freshwater Burr. 1991. Fishes of Eastern Canada. species-at-risk program funds. A. Brumpton, A. Chard, J. Epp, J. Ethier, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 432 pp. R. Gaspardi, S. Hogg, V. Kopf, A. LeBaron, A. Mathers, C. Malcolm, M. Scott, W.B. 1955. Freshwater FishesToronto: of Canada. University Bulletin McGrath, M. Parna, K. Pitt, A. Price, M. Sweeting, and T. Taylor assisted 184.of Toronto Press. 91 pp. Literaturewith field sampling. Cited Scott, W.B. and E.J.The Crossman. Inland Fishes 1973. of New York State. Canadian Wildlife Species at Risk Ottawa: Environment Canada. 1026 pp. Smith, C.L. 1985. Albany: New York COSEWIC.www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct0/rpt/rpt_csar_e.cfm/ 2012. . Committee on the AmmocryptaState Department with ofdescriptions Environmental of two Conservation. new species. 522 Bulletin pp. of the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Accessible at http:// Williams,Alabama J.D. Museum 1975. Systematics of Natural History of the percid fishes of the subgenus, . CapturedAmmocrypta on 23 pellucidaOctober 2013.. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 1: 1–56. Daniels, R.A. 1993. Habitat of the Eastern). Sand Darter, Ammocrypta pellucidum 8(4): 287–295 IUCN (doi: Red10.1080/02705060.1993.9664868 List of Threatened Species Gimenezwww.iucnredlist.org Dixon, M. 1996. . In: IUCN 2013. . Version 2013.1. Accessible at http:// Received: March 2014 . Captured on 23 October 2013. Accepted: September 2014 Ginson, R. 2012. Population and Conservation Genetics of a Published online: October 2014 Habitat Specific Riverine Fish Species, the Eastern Sand Darter Editorial responsibility: Rubens Pazza

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