Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S3

ITIS Code: 164405          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The pirate perch is listed as a species of special concern in Iowa (571 IAC 77.2(3) (2004)).  It only occurs in scattered locations along the upper pools of the Mississippi River and in the lower Cedar River watershed of the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Aquatic Subregion.  Recent collections have not found the pirate perch at many earlier survey sites indicating a decline in distribution and abundance (Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:

The pirate perch is found in many lowland habitats from natural lakes, overflow ponds and low-gradient streams to marshes, swamps, and roadside pools (Becker 1983; Clay 1975; Douglas 1974; Eddy and Underhill 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Phillips et. al. 1982; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). The pirate perch is associated with dense cover such as aquatic vegetation, debris, or undercut banks and bottoms of decomposing organic matter underlain by soft mud or silt (Becker 1983; Douglas 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Phillips et. al. 1982; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 19817). In Iowa, the pirate perch inhabits quiet pools and backwaters of clear, warm water, with heavy vegetation or organic debris and no discernable current (Harlan et al. 1987).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: Range Only

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

Mississippi River Model:

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

("pool" = 'S08' OR "pool" = 'S09' OR "pool" = 'S11')

Overall Prediction:

("pool" = 'S08' OR "pool" = 'S09' OR "pool" = 'S11')

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.

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

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.

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

571: 77.2(3).

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

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:

Howell, D.  2003.  NAI database.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des

Moines, Iowa.

Lake MacBride Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports. 

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

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

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

Olson, J.R.  1998.  Historic fish survey database.  Water Quality Bureau, Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

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.

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

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

Additional References:

Becker, H.R. 1923.  The habitat of Aphredoderus sayanus.  Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan No.138.  4pp.

Boltz, J.M., and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1986.  Branchial brooding in the pirate perch, Aphredoderus sayanus (Gilliams).  Copeia 1986(4):1030-1031.

Boltz, J.M., and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1993.  Systematics of Aphredoderus sayanus (Teleostei: Aphredoderidae).  Copeia 1993:81-98.

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.

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.

Forbes, S.A., and R.E. Richardson.  1920.  The fishes of Illinois.  Natural History Survey of Illinois, Springfield, Illinois.  Volume 3,  357 pp.

Hall, G.E., and R.M. Jenkins.  1954.  Notes on the age and growth of the pirate perch, Aphredoderus sayanus, in Oklahoma.  Copeia 1954(1):69.

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.

Murdy, E.O., and J.W.E. Wortham, Jr.  1980.  Contributions to the reproductive Biology of the eastern pirate perch, Aphredoderus sayanus.  Virginia Journal of Science 31(1-2):20-27.

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.

Parker, N.C., and B. A. Simco.  1975.  Activity patterns, feeding and behavior of the pirateperch, Aphredoderus sayanus.  Copeia 1975(3): 572-574.

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.  

Rice, L.A.  1942.  The food of seventeen Reelfoot Lake fishes in 1941.  Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 17(1): 4-13.

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.

Shepherd, M.E., and M.T. Huish. 1978.  Age, growth, and diet of the pirate perch in a coastal plain stream of North Carolina.  Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 107(3):457-459.

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