Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S4

ITIS Code: 163368          

National Rank:  N5

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The golden shiner is ranked common to abundant in Iowa and is found in many streams and lakes scattered throughout the state (Harlan et al. 1987).  Collections show the highest concentrations of the golden shiner are found in the upper watersheds of the Chariton, Des Moines, Iowa, Little Sioux and Wapsipinicon river drainages. It is found throughout the Mississippi River and has been documented in the Missouri River as well.  The overall range of the golden shiner has expanded likely from bait-bucket introductions (Pflieger 1997) and planting of brood fish such as those in man-made lakes in southern Iowa (Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:

The golden shiner can be found in a variety of clear, quiet water habitats but reaches greatest abundance in sloughs, ponds, reservoirs, clear lakes, canals, ditches and the quiet pools of low-gradient streams (Harlan et al. 1987; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). It can be found in schools in midwater or near the surface (Tomelleri and Eberle 1990). The golden shiner thrives in areas with dense growths of aquatic vegetation and bottoms composed mainly of organic debris or sand (Becker 1983; Trautman 1981). It is commonly found in the permanent pools of clear, heavily vegetated, intermittent upland creeks (Pflieger 1997). The golden shiner is more tolerant of low oxygen levels, nutrient enrichment, turbidity and pollution than other minnows (Phillips et. al. 1982; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Smith 1979), but Trautman (1981) has recorded decreases in abundance as drainage, turbidity, siltation and pollution have increased in Ohio.

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=137]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records.

("TEMP_CODE" = 2 AND

(( "SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND

"STRAHLER" <= 2 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 4) OR

 ("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND

"STRAHLER" <= 2 AND "SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "DLINKR" > 5) OR ("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND

("STRAHLER" > 2 AND "STRAHLER" <= 3) AND ("LINKR" <= 2 OR "LINKR" > 3)) OR

("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND

("SOIL_TEXT" <= 1 OR "SOIL_TEXT" > 8)) OR

("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND ("LINKR" > 4 AND "LINKR" <= 6) AND ("MINELEVR" >

2 AND "MINELEVR" <= 3)) OR

"SDISCR_5C" > 1))

Mississippi River Model:

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

 ("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S21')

Missouri River Model

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

 ("pool" = 'O17' OR "pool" = 'O19')

Overall Prediction:

("TEMP_CODE" = 2 AND

(( "SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND

"STRAHLER" <= 2 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 4) OR

 ("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND

"STRAHLER" <= 2 AND "SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "DLINKR" > 5) OR ("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND

("STRAHLER" > 2 AND "STRAHLER" <= 3) AND ("LINKR" <= 2 OR "LINKR" > 3)) OR

("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND "LINKR" <= 4 AND "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND

("SOIL_TEXT" <= 1 OR "SOIL_TEXT" > 8)) OR

("SDISCR_5C" <= 1 AND ("LINKR" > 4 AND "LINKR" <= 6) AND ("MINELEVR" >

2 AND "MINELEVR" <= 3)) OR "SDISCR_5C" > 1)) OR ("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S21') OR ("pool" = 'O17' OR "pool" = 'O19')

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Smith, P.W.  1979.  The fishes of Illinois.  University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois.  314 pp.

Tomelleri, J.R., and M.E. Eberle.  1990.  Fishes of the Central United States.  University  Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.  226 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Bernstein, N.P.  2003.  Personal communications and unpublished reports.  Mount Mercy

College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Bernstein, N.P., M. Getting, T. Kamp, S. Christian, R. Smith, J. Steele, and S. Steele. 

2000.  The status of the blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis) in Iowa: A preliminary survey.  Journal of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 107(1):16-20.

Berry, C.R., D.L. Galat, and M.L. Wildhaber.  2004.  Fish distribution and abundance. 

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the upper Little Sioux River.  Iowa Academy of Science 77:177-184.

Call, R.E.  1890.  The fishes of the Des Moines basin.  Iowa Academy of Sciences 1 pt.2

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Chariton Fish Research Station.  2003.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Southeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Chariton, Iowa.

Clear Lake Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northwest

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Clear Lake, Iowa.

Cleary, R.E.  1950.  Forage fish abundance and distribution in N.E. Iowa.  Quarterly

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Cleary, R.E., and  J. Hlavacek.  1957.  Summary of 1957 UMRCC exploratory fishing in

pools 8 to13.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Dowell, V.  1981.  Collections in Cedar River Basin, 1956-1981.  University of Northern

Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Fairport Fish Management and Hatchery.  2003.  Field notes and unpublished reports.

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Fairport, Iowa.

Gelwicks, G., J. Heitke, and G. Simmons.  2002.  Contemporary fish survey.  Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Gritters, S.A.  1997.  Evaluation of water quality, fish and macroinvertebrates in Rock

Creek.  Fish Management Investigations 1997 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

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Menzel, B.W.  1999.  Field notes: Topeka shiner survey, 1999 off-channel collections. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  2000.  Field notes: Topeka shiner survey, 2000 in-channel collections. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Miller, L.R., T. Putnam, and J. Wahl.  1988.  Evaluation of lowhead riffle construction on

riverine fish populations.  Fish Management Investigations 1988 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

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Plant, Middletown, Iowa. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Genoa, Wisconsin.

Mount Mercy College Museum.  2002.  Vertebrate collection database report.  Mount

Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

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Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May, 2002)

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28, 1982.  State Natural History Survey Division, Section of Fauntistic Surveys and Insect Identification, Champaign, Illinois.

Paloumpis, A.A.  1958.  Responses of some minnows to flood and drought conditions in

an intermittent stream.  Iowa State College Journal of Science 32(4):547-561.

Paragamian, V.L.  1978.  Population dynamics of smallmouth bass in the Maquoketa

River and other Iowa streams: effects of habitat variation on the stream biota.  Project F-89-R-2, Study No. 602-1, Job No. 2.  Annual Performance Report.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paragamian, V.L.  1979.  Population dynamics of smallmouth bass in the Maquoketa

River and other Iowa streams: effects of habitat variation on the stream biota.  Project F-89-R-2, Study No. 602-2, Job No. 2.  Annual Performance Report.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

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No. 3.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Smith, P.W,. and A.C. Lopinot.  1966.  The 1966 survey of fishes from the mouths of

Mississippi River tributaries, Appendix B, pp.226-233, Illinois State Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois.

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Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Orleans, Iowa.

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Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Meeting, Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

UMRCC.  1964.  Proceedings of the twentieth annual meeting, January 7, 1964.  Upper

Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

Van Vooren, A.  1981.  Relative utilization of Mississippi River habitats as fish nursery

areas.  Project 81-III-C-11.  Job Completion Reports.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wenke, T.L.  1965.  Some ecological relationships of mayflies, caddisflies, and fish in

the Mississippi River near Keokuk, Iowa.  Ph.D. dissertation.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

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Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Aadland, L.P.,  C.M. Cook, M.T. Negus, H.G. Drewes, and  C.S. Anderson.  1991.  Microhabitat preferences of selected stream fishes and community-oriented approach to instream flow assessments.  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  142 pp.

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Cooper, G.P., and G.N. Washburn.  1946.  Relation of dissolved oxygen to winter mortality of fish in Michigan lakes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 76:23-33.

Cross, F.B.  1967.  Handbook of fishes of Kansas.  University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication  No. 45, Lawrence, Kansas.  357 pp.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Dewey, M.R., and C.A. Jennings.  1994.  Factors limiting the distribution of larval and juvenile fishes in vegetated habitats of the upper Mississippi River.  National Biological Survey, National Fisheries Research Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin for the National Biological Survey, Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin.  EMTC 94-S005. Part I, 61 pp. Part II, 19 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Echelle, A.A., and G.D. Schnell.  1976.  Factor analysis of species associations among fishes of the Kiamichi River, Oklahoma.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 105(1):17-31.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Gelwicks, G.T.  1995.  Fish movement between the lower Missouri River and a managed floodplain wetland in Missouri.  Master’s thesis. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. 190 pp.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Martin, R.G., and  R.S. Campbell.  1953.  The small fishes of Black River and Clearwater Lake, Missouri.  Black River Studies, University of Missouri Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri  26(2):45-66.

Mizzi, J.A.  1994.  Zooplankton, macroinvertebrate, herptile, and ichthyofaunal biodiversity of riverine habitat on the upper Missouri River.  Master’s thesis, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota.  130 pp.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Pinder, M.J., and R.P. Morgan III.  1995.  Interactions of pH and habitat on cyprinid distributions in Appalachian streams of Maryland.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124:94-102.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Sheehan, R.J., W.M. Lewis, and  L.R. Bodensteiner.  1990.  Winter habitat requirements and overwintering of riverine fishes.  Southern Illinois Fisheries Research Laboratory, Carbondale, Illinois.  D-J Project F-79-R, Study 101.  234 pp.

Sheppard, J.D.  1969.  Some aspects of the life histories of the golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleulas) and the common shiner, (Notropis cornutus) in eastern Ontario with particular reference to growth. Master’s thesis, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  324 pp.

Smale, M.A., and C. F. Rabeni.  1995.  Hypoxia and hyperthermia tolerances of headwater stream fishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society  124:698-710.

Sublette, J.E., M.D Hatch, and M. Sublette.  1990.  The fishes of New Mexico.  University New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  393 pp.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Tibbs, J.E.  1995.  Habitat use by small fishes in the lower Mississippi River related to foraging by least terns, Sterna altillarum.  Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  184 pp.

Werner, E.E., D.J. Hall, D.R. Laughlin, D.J. Wagner, L.A. Wilsmann, and F.C. Funk.  1977.  Habitat partitioning in a freshwater fish community.  Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 34(3):360-370.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of the Native Fish Conservancy, http://www.nativefish.org.