U.S. FishU.S &. FishWildlife & Wildlife Service Service Sharpnose Shiner and Arlington, Texas Ecological Services Field Office

Sharpnose Shiner Photo Credit: Chad Thomas, Texas State University Smalleye Shiner oxyrhynchus Notropis buccula

Description and become larva, it takes an river and are covered with silt and The sharpnose and smalleye shiners additional 3 days to become free debris and are no longer viable. Both are small (~2 in. overall length) swimming juvenile fish. Young fish species have a short life span, minnows native to Texas belonging to move to eddies, mouths of tributaries, generally 2 years. the family. The sharpnose and margins of the river where stream Diet shiner is typically olive colored on top velocity is slower and food is more The diet of sharpnose and smalleye and silver-white with a faint stripe on abundant. It is estimated that both shiners consists primarily of the sides. The smalleye shiner, when species need at least 171 miles of invertebrates. They also consume compared to the sharpnose shiner, has continuous free-flowing riverine plant material and loose particles of lighter white scales. Both species are habitat to complete all life stages. decomposed materials usually found in shallow river reaches along the river. It has of the Upper and its also been suggested that major tributaries with sandy bottoms. they forage among Distribution sediments on the river Historically, the sharpnose shiner bottom all year around. occurred within the Brazos, Wichita, and Colorado Rivers. The smalleye Conservation shiner is native to the Brazos River. Both the sharpnose and These two minnows are currently the smalleye shiner were restricted to segments of the upper Brazos River listed as endangered on th Brazos River system upstream of (Photo Credit: USFWS) August 4 , 2014 under

Possum Kingdom Reservoir. Much of Both the sharpnose and the smalleye the this area is designated as critical shiners spawn between the months of Act. The main threat they face is habitat for both species. April and September. For successful habitat loss and fragmentation. Low spawning, smalleye shiner and water crossings, dams and fences can Life History sharpnose shiner need a minimum create migration barriers. This can The smalleye and sharpnose shiners average spawning river flow of 227 lead to loss of reproductive success or are broadcast spawners, releasing eggs and 92 cubic feet/second, ability to move up and down stream. and sperm into the water where respectively. Increased flow from Activities that degrade water quality, fertilization occurs. The semi- seasonal storms stimulate the shiners such as the discharge of industrial or buoyant eggs drift in the water to reproduce. When flows drop below municipal wastewater, can adversely column for one or two days prior to these levels, eggs drifting in the water affect fish survival and stream health. hatching. Once the eggs are fertilized column settle to the bottom of the Reductions in stream flow caused by droughts, water impoundments, and depletion of the water table from References For Further Information water wells and irrigation can lead to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2015. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service habitat loss. Smalleye and Sharpnose Recovery Ecological Services Field Office, Outline. 2005 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Suite 140 Arlington, Texas 76006 September 2016

Range of the Sharpnose and Smalleye Shiners