Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S3

ITIS Code: 163876          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The pugnose minnow is listed as a species of special concern in Iowa (571 IAC 77.2(3) (2004)).  Iowa is at the northern limit of this minnow’s geographical range.  The pugnose minnow is restricted to the Mississippi River, where it has been collected along almost the entire length of the river (Harlan et al. 1987). 

Habitat Affinities:

The pugnose minnow a wide variety of sluggish water habitats including low-gradient streams, natural lakes, bayous, sloughs, ditches, borrow pits, oxbows, harbors, bays and human-made canals (Becker 1983; Clay 1975; Pflieger 1997; Phillips et al. 1982; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). It is most commonly found in clear or tannin-stained pools with dense aquatic vegetation and bottoms of fine mud, sand, or organic debris (Clay 1975; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). In Missouri, the highest concentrations of the pugnose minnow are in lentic areas of the Mississippi Alluvial Basin Aquatic Subregion where they compose 8.5% of small nektonic fish (Pflieger 1997).  Although this species is considered intolerant of high turbidity, Harlan et al.(1987) reported that remnant populations in Iowa can occur temporarily in turbid reaches.  There has been a drastic decline in pugnose minnow populations (Becker 1983; Trautman 1981) partially due to excessive siltation in streams and drainage of swamps and lakes (Smith 1979). 

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: Range Only

The distribution is based upon existing collection records.

Mississippi River Model:

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

("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S19')

Overall Prediction:

("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S19')

Literature Cited:

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

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

Endangered and threatened plant and animal species.  2004.  Iowa Administrative Code 

571: 77.2(3).

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.

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:

Gritters, S.A., and L.M. Mauldin.  1993.  The status of the weed shiner (Notropis

texanus) in Pool 13 of the Upper Mississippi River System.  EMTC 93- S007.  Environmental Management Technical Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Onalaska, Wisconsin.

Guttenberg Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

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

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program.  2002.   Pool 13 database, 1990-2001.  Upper

Midwest Environmental Science Center, Bellevue, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  1983.  Field notes: northeast.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Nord, R.C.  1967.  A compendium of fishery information on the Upper Mississippi River.

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

UMRCC.  1953.  Revised species list- northern section of the river.  Pages 19-32 in

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.

Additional References:

Amemiya, C T., and J.R. Gold.  1990.  Chromosome NOR phenotypes of seven species of North American Cyprinidae, with comments on cytosystematic relationships of the Notropis volucellus species-group, Opsopoeodus emiliae, and the genus Pteronotropis.  Copeia 1990:68-78.

Amemiya, C.T., P.K. Powers, and J.R. Gold.  1992.  Chromosomal evolution in North American cyprinids.  Pages 513-533 in R. L. Mayden, editor.  Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calfiornia. xxvi + 969 pp.

Coburn, M.M., and T.M. Cavender.  1992.  Interrelationships of North American cyprinid fishes.  Pages 328-373 in R. L. Mayden, editor.  Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calfiornia. xxvi + 969 pp.

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.

Dimmick, W.W.  1987.  Phylogenetic relationships of Notropis hubbsi, N. welaka, and N. emiliae (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae).  Copeia 1987:316-325.

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

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

Gilbert, C.R., and R.M. Bailey.  1972.  Systematics and zoogeography of the American cyprinid fish Notropis (Opsopoeodus) emiliae.  Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan No. 664. 35 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.

Li, Y., and J.R. Gold.  1991.  Cytogenetic studies in North American minnows (Cyprinidae): XXII. Chromosomal nucleolar organizer regions in the genus Pimephales.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 69:2826-2830.

Mayden, R.L. 1989.  Phylogenetic studies of North American minnows, with emphasis on the genus Cyprinella (Teleostei: Cypriniformes).  University of Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication (80):1-189.

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.

Page, L.M., and C.E. Johnson.  1990.  The breeding behavior of Opsopoeodus emiliae (Cyprinidae) and its phylogenetic implications.  Copeia 1990:1176-1180.

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.  

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.

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

Photo Credits:

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

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