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Blacktail shiner  (Cyprinella venusta)

General data

  • Main name: Blacktail shiner
  • Climates: Subtropical
  • Habitat: Freshwater
  • Native: North America
  • Distribution: Mississippi River, Rio Grande, Aucilla River, Suwannee River, Colorado (Texas), Brazos, View all... Trinity (Texas), San Joaquin River, Mobile river, Atchafalaya, Apalachicola, Ochlockonee River, Caloosahatchee, Guadalupe, Pascagoula River, Pearl river (Gulf of Mexico), Neches River, Sabine River

Classification

  • Genus: Cyprinella - Satinfin shiners
  • Family: Leuciscidae - Chub family
  • Order: Cypriniformes - Carps
  • Class: Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes
  • Superclass: Osteichthyes - Bony fishes

Description

The blacktail shiner is a somewhat slender minnow with 8-9 rays on the anal fin, and a prominent black spot at the base of the caudal fin (tail fin). The back is usually yellowish-olive, and the sides are silvery with hints of blue. Adults usually reach 8 inches (19 cm) in length. The blacktail shiner has a large, black caudal spot which distinguishes it from most other minnows. The caudal spot of the blacktail shiner may be faint, especially in populations inhabiting turbid waters, and they could likely be confused with the red shiner (C. lutrensis); however, the red shiner has 9 anal rays (versus 8) and usually 35 or fewer lateral scales (versus 36 or more). The blacktail shiner occurs in Gulf of Mexico drainages from Suwannee River, Georgia and Florida, to Rio Grande, Texas; Mississippi River basin (mostly on Former Mississippi Embayment) from southern Illinois to Louisiana and west in Red River drainage to western Oklahoma.[3] Blacktail shiners are found in the southern United States west of the Appalachian Mountains.[4] The species ranges east and west from north central Florida to West Texas, and north to southern Illinois. In Texas, blacktail shiners are unknown in the Panhandle, being found primarily from the Edwards Plateau eastward. The blacktail shiner has also been found from the Rio Grande basin in Texas, east to the Suwannee River, and north through the Mississippi River basin to the confluence of the Ohio River. Two of the three recognized subspecies occur in Alabama. The slender blacktail shiner, C. v. stigmaturus, is found in the upper Mobile River basin (most frequently above the Fall Line), while the eastern blacktail shiner, C. v. cercositgma, occurs in the lower Mobile River basin and coastal rivers draining the state. Intergradations between these subspecies have been recognized in the Alabama, Cahaba, and Tallapoosa river systems.

Catches

Taxonomy of Fishes

  • Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
    • Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
    • Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
      • Perciformes - Perches->
      • Cypriniformes - Carps->
        • Cyprinidae - Carps->
        • Gobionidae - Gudgeons->
        • Tincidae - Tench->
        • Cobitidae - True loaches->
        • Acheilognathidae - Bitterling-like cyprinids->
        • Leuciscidae - Chub family->
          • Squalius - Chubs->
          • Abramis - Breams->
          • Ballerus - Blue Breams->
          • Blicca - Silver Breams->
          • Vimba - Vimbas->
          • Chondrostoma - Nases->
          • Alburnoides - Riffle minnows->
          • Alburnus - Bleaks->
          • Phoxinus - Eurasian minnows->
          • Leucaspius - Moderlieschens->
          • Leuciscus - Eurasian daces->
          • Telestes - Souffies->
          • Pelecus - Sabrefishes->
          • Rutilus - Roaches->
          • Scardinius - Rudds->
          • Pachychilon - Macedonian Roaches->
          • Pelasgus - Greek minnow->
          • Achondrostoma - Achondrostoma->
          • Ptychocheilus - Pikeminnows->
          • Pseudaspius - Amur asp->
          • Pseudochondrostoma - Pseudo nase->
          • Gila - Gila chub->
          • Luxilus - Luxilus->
          • Semotilus - Creek chubs->
          • Notemigonus - Golden shiners->
          • Siphateles - Siphateles->
          • Richardsonius - Redside shiners->
          • Orthodon - Orthodon->
          • Campostoma - Stonerollers->
          • Nocomis - North American chubs->
          • Leucos - Adriatic roaches->
          • Sarmarutilus - Sarmarutilus->
          • Delminichthys - Karst minnows->
          • Phoxinellus - Adriatic naked minnows->
          • Parachondrostoma - South-west European nase->
          • Iberochondrostoma - Iberian nase->
          • Petroleuciscus - Ponto-Caspian chubs->
          • Pimephales - Bluntnose minnows->
          • Rhinichthys - Riffle daces->
          • Cyprinella - Satinfin shiners->
            • Red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis)
            • Spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera)
            • Blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta)
            • Alabama shiner (Cyprinella callistia)
            • Tepehuan shiner (Cyprinella alvarezdelvillari)
            • Satinfin shiner (Cyprinella analostana)
            • Largemouth shiner (Cyprinella bocagrande)
            • Blue shiner (Cyprinella caerulea)
            • Ocmulgee shiner (Cyprinella callisema)
            • Bluestripe shiner (Cyprinella callitaenia)
            • Bluntface shiner (Cyprinella camura)
            • Greenfin shiner (Cyprinella chloristia)
            • Cyprinella eurystoma (Cyprinella eurystoma)
            • Beautiful shiner (Cyprinella formosa)
            • Whitetail shiner (Cyprinella galactura)
            • Gibbous shiner (Cyprinella garmani)
            • Tallapoosa shiner (Cyprinella gibbsi)
            • Thicklip chub (Cyprinella labrosa)
            • Bannerfin shiner (Cyprinella leedsi)
            • Plateau shiner (Cyprinella lepida)
            • Spotfin chub (Cyprinella monacha)
            • Whitefin shiner (Cyprinella nivea)
            • Conchos shiner (Cyprinella panarcys)
            • Proserpine shiner (Cyprinella proserpina)
            • Fieryblack shiner (Cyprinella pyrrhomelas)
            • Mexican red shiner (Cyprinella rutila)
            • Cyprinella stigmatura (Cyprinella stigmatura)
            • Tricolor shiner (Cyprinella trichroistia)
            • Steelcolor shiner (Cyprinella whipplei)
            • Altamaha shiner (Cyprinella xaenura)
            • Cuatro Cienegas shiner (Cyprinella xanthicara)
            • Santee chub (Cyprinella zanema)
          • Macrhybopsis - Blacktail chubs->
          • Platygobio - Platygobio->
          • Chrosomus - Redbelly dace->
          • Notropis - Eastern shiners->
          • Erimystax - Slender chubs->
          • Clinostomus - Redside daces->
          • Couesius - Couesius->
          • Mylocheilus - Mylocheilus->
          • Acrocheilus - Acrocheilus->
          • Acanthobrama - Acanthobrama->
          • Agosia - Agosia->
          • Algansea - Algansea->
          • Anaecypris - Anaecypris->
          • Aspiolucius - Aspiolucius->
          • Aztecula - Aztecula->
          • Capoetobrama - Capoetobrama->
          • Hemitremia - Hemitremia->
          • Codoma - Codoma->
          • Dionda - Desert Minnows->
          • Eremichthys - Eremichthys->
          • Ericymba - Ericymba->
          • Evarra - Evarra->
          • Exoglossum - Exoglossum->
          • Hesperoleucus - Hesperoleucus->
          • Hybognathus - Hybognathus->
          • Hybopsis - Hybopsis->
          • Iberocypris - Iberocypris->
          • Iotichthys - Iotichthys->
          • Ladigesocypris - Ladigesocypris->
          • Lavinia - Lavinia->
          • Lepidomeda - Lepidomeda->
          • Leucalburnus - Leucalburnus->
          • Lythrurus - Lythrurus->
          • Margariscus - Margariscus->
          • Meda - Meda->
          • Mirogrex - Mirogrex->
          • Moapa - Moapa->
          • Mylopharodon - Mylopharodon->
          • Opsopoeodus - Opsopoeodus->
          • Oregonichthys - Oregonichthys->
          • Oreoleuciscus - Oreoleuciscus->
          • Pararhinichthys - Pararhinichthys->
          • Phenacobius - Phenacobius->
          • Plagopterus - Plagopterus->
          • Pogonichthys - Pogonichthys->
          • Protochondrostoma - Protochondrostoma->
          • Pseudophoxinus - Pseudophoxinus->
          • Pteronotropis - Pteronotropis->
          • Relictus - Relictus->
          • Rhynchocypris - Rhynchocypris->
          • Tampichthys - Tampichthys->
          • Stypodon - Stypodon->
          • Tropidophoxinellus - Tropidophoxinellus->
          • Yuriria - Yuriria->
          • Paranotropis - Paranotropis->
          • Miniellus - Miniellus->
        • Nemacheilidae - Stone loaches->
        • Xenocyprididae - East Asian minnows->
        • Catostomidae - Suckers->
        • Leptobarbidae - Cigar barbs->
        • Balitoridae - River loaches->
        • Barbuccidae - Fire-eyed loaches->
        • Botiidae - Pointface loaches->
        • Danionidae - Danios->
        • Ellopostomatidae - Square-head loaches->
        • Gastromyzontidae - Hillstream loaches->
        • Gyrinocheilidae - Algae eaters->
        • Paedocyprididae - Tiny carps->
        • Psilorhynchidae - Mountain carps->
        • Serpenticobitidae - Snake loaches->
        • Sundadanionidae - Tiny danios->
        • Tanichthyidae - Mountain minnows->
        • Vaillantellidae - Longfin loaches->
      • Esociformes - Pikes->
      • Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
      • Siluriformes - Catfishes->
      • Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
      • Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
      • Gadiformes - Cods->
      • Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
      • Clupeiformes - Herrings->
      • Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
      • Gobiiformes - Gobies->
      • Mugiliformes - Mullets->
      • Carangiformes - Jacks->
      • Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
      • Labriformes - Wrasses->
      • Scombriformes - Mackerels->
      • Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
      • Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
      • Aulopiformes - Grinners->
      • Blenniiformes - Blennies->
      • Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
      • Osmeriformes - Smelts->
      • Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
      • Cichliformes - Cichlids->
      • Characiformes - Characins->
      • Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
      • Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
      • Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
      • Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
      • Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
      • Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
      • Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
      • Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
      • Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
      • Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
      • Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
      • Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
      • Zeiformes - Dories->
      • Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
      • Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
      • Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
      • Lampriformes - Lamprids->
      • Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
      • Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
      • Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
      • Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
      • Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
      • Atheriniformes - Silversides->
      • Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
      • Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
      • Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
      • Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
      • Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
      • Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
      • Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
      • Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
      • Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
      • Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
      • Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
      • Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
      • Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
      • Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
      • Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
      • Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
      • Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
    • Cladistii - Bichirs->
    • Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
    • Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
    • Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
  • Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
  • Agnatha - Jawless fishes->