COSEWIC Assessment and Update Status Report on the Chiselmouth Acrocheilus alutaceus in Canada NOT AT RISK 2003 COSEWIC COSEPAC COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF COMITÉ SUR LA SITUATION ENDANGERED WILDLIFE DES ESPÈCES EN PÉRIL IN CANADA AU CANADA COSEWIC status reports are working documents used in assigning the status of wildlife species suspected of being at risk. This report may be cited as follows: Please note: Persons wishing to cite data in the report should refer to the report (and cite the author(s)); persons wishing to cite the COSEWIC status will refer to the assessment (and cite COSEWIC). A production note will be provided if additional information on the status report history is required. COSEWIC 2003. COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the chiselmouth Acrocheilus alutaceus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii + 22 pp. (www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm) Rosenfeld, Jordan. 2003. Update COSEWIC status report on the chiselmouth, Acrocheilus alutaceus, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Ottawa. 1-22 pp. Previous report: Coffie, P.A. 1997. COSEWIC status report on the chiselmouth Acrocheilus alutaceus, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Ottawa. 13 pp. Production note: COSEWIC acknowledges Jordan Rosenfeld for writing the update status report on the chiselmouth Acrocheilus alutaceus, in Canada. COSEWIC also gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the province of British Columbia for the preparation of this report. The report was edited by Robert Campbell, COSEWIC Freshwater Fishes Specialist Subcommittee Co-chair. For additional copies contact: COSEWIC Secretariat c/o Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3 Tel.: (819) 997-4991 / (819) 953-3215 Fax: (819) 994-3684 E-mail: COSEWIC/[email protected] http://www.cosewic.gc.ca Également disponible en français sous le titre Évaluation et Rapport de situation du COSEPAC sur le bouche coupante (Acrocheilus alutaceus) au Canada – Mise à jour. Cover illustration: Chiselmouth — Drawing by Anker Odum, from Scott and Crossman (1973) by permission of the authors. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2003 Catalogue CW69-14/372-2004E-PDF ISBN 0-662-37084-8 HTML: CW69-14/372-2004E-HTML 0-662-37085-6 Recycled paper COSEWIC Assessment Summary Assessment Summary – May 2003 Common name Chiselmouth Scientific name Acrocheilus alutaceus Status Not at Risk Reason for designation The Canadian distribution of this species is restricted to a few disjunct populations in south-central British Columbia where they are found in low densities, but appear stable and are not subject to any known factors that could put them at risk. Occurrence British Columbia Status history Designated Data Deficient in April 1997. Status re-examined and determined to be Not At Risk in May 2003. Last assessment based on an update status report. COSEWIC Executive Summary Chiselmouth Acrocheilus alutaceus Species information Acrocheilus alutaceus (Agassiz and Pickering) is the only living member of it’s genus. The common name Chiselmouth (Bouche coupante in french) reflects its square scleritized lower lip. Distribution Chiselmouth occur in the Fraser and Columbia drainage basins in western Canada and the Pacific Northwest United States. Although chiselmouth are abundant throughout their American range, they have a much more limited distribution in British Columbia, and are restricted to the warmer interior of the province where they typically occur at lower densities than populations in Washington and Oregon. Habitat Chiselmouth are primarily a large river fish, although they can occur at high densities in lakes as well. In both habitats chiselmouth will only occur in productive systems with enough algal growth on rocks to support adult fishes. Consequently, their distribution in B.C. is largely restricted to interior lakes and rivers. In rivers, adult chislelmouth usually occur in deeper (greater than a meter) faster water over a boulder-cobble substrate that will support algae for adults to feed on. Juvenile fish occur in slower weedy marginal or backwater areas, where they feed on aquatic and terrestrial insects and occur in mixed schools with juvenile northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis), peamouth chub (Mylocheilus caurinus), and redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus). Biology Chiselmouth are unique in western Canada in that they are the only native freshwater fish species west of the Rockies specifically adapted to eating algae. Although chiselmouth will opportunistically feed on invertebrates like most other minnows, their lower lip is straight and hard and adapted to scraping algae off of boulders or other hard surfaces (Moodie and Lindsey 1972), and algae constitutes the primary diet of adults (see Scott and Crossman (1973) and B.C. Fish facts - http://www.fisheries.gov.bc.ca/Publications/chiselmouth.pdf – for more general information on biology). Chiselmouth are a relatively large minnow, attaining a maximum size of up to 30 cm. Although they sometimes hybridize with northern pikeminnow and peamouth chub, chiselmouth are readily distinguished from both species by their distinctive lower lip. Reproduction is in the spring over coarse substrate. Spawning habitat in rivers in Canada is undocumented, but is possibly coarser substrate in mainstem habitat. However, spawning in smaller tributaries is also a possibility, since Moodie (1966) observed spawning of the Wolfe Lake population in a small inlet stream. Population sizes and trends Populations of chiselmouth in British Columbia tend to be disjunct (non- continuous) and often occur at low densities. Population sizes are poorly documented, but range from being likely very large (Nicola river basin) to very small (Salmon river basin near Prince George). Population trends are unknown, but there is no reason to believe that they are declining, although most watersheds where chiselmouth are present have experienced some degree of habitat degradation associated with forestry or agriculture. There appear to be no recent major extirpations relative to past collections (although the B.C. Fisheries Branch has historically chemically treated some lakes to remove “coarsefish” for stocking with rainbow trout, resulting in several local extirpations from small lakes; Don McPhail pers. comm.), but there have been no reliable estimates of population size in the past, and none in the present beyond point resampling to verify current distribution (presence/absence). Limiting factors and threats The large-scale distribution of chiselmouth in Canada is likely limited by temperature, i.e. colder rivers in B.C. provide inadequate thermal conditions for growth and development of eggs, juveniles and adults. Where temperatures are adequate, populations are probably limited by the availability of adequate deeper mainstem habitat with boulder/cobble substrate to support algae, and slower vegetated nearshore habitat for juvenile rearing. Threats primarily relate to habitat degradation from sedimentation of clean substrate used for adult foraging, loss of marginal and backwater habitats for juvenile rearing, and siltation of spawning habitat. Special significance of the species Chiselmouth are unique among Canadian fishes in both their body morphology and feeding mode. They are ecologically unique in that they are the sole primarily herbivorous freshwater fish native to western Canada. Canadian populations also encompass the northern range of the species global distribution. Existing protection or other status designations Although chiselmouth are blue-listed in B.C. (identified as a species of concern), they have no protection. Chiselmouth are unlisted in the U.S. COSEWIC HISTORY The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) was created in 1977 as a result of a recommendation at the Federal-Provincial Wildlife Conference held in 1976. It arose from the need for a single, official, scientifically sound, national listing of wildlife species at risk. In 1978, COSEWIC designated its first species and produced its first list of Canadian species at risk. On June 5, 2003, the Species at Risk Act (SARA) was proclaimed. SARA establishes COSEWIC as an advisory body ensuring that species will continue to be assessed under a rigorous and independent scientific process. COSEWIC MANDATE The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assesses the national status of wild species, subspecies, varieties, or other designatable units that are considered to be at risk in Canada. Designations are made on native species and include the following taxonomic groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, arthropods, molluscs, vascular plants, mosses, and lichens. COSEWIC MEMBERSHIP COSEWIC comprises members from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal organizations (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Federal Biosystematic Partnership, chaired by the Canadian Museum of Nature), three nonjurisdictional members and the co-chairs of the species specialist and the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge subcommittees. The committee meets to consider status reports on candidate species. DEFINITIONS (After May 2003) Species Any indigenous species, subspecies, variety, or geographically or genetically distinct population of wild fauna and flora. Extinct (X) A species that no longer exists. Extirpated