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Species
Pimephales promelas Rafinesque, 1820
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Fathead minnows are native to the Nearctic region. The northern limits of their geographic ranges extends from Quebec to Alberta and Northwest Territories, Canada. Their southern limites of their geographic range extends as far southward as Alabama, Texas, and New Mexico. Fathead minnows are most abundant in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern Great Plains. Bait-bucket introductions have also occurred in the Mobile Bay drainage, Colorado River drainage, Alabama, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. They are generally absent in mountainous regions as well as on the Atlantic Slope of Delaware River. They have also been introduced in Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom), Puerto Rico, and Iran.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced , Native ); palearctic (Introduced )
- Luna, S., C. Garilao, A. Torres. 2010. "Pimephales promelas (Rafinesque, 1820) Fathead minnow" (On-line). Fishbase.org. Accessed May 19, 2011 at http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=4785&genusname=Pimephales&speciesname=promelas#.
- Page, L., B. Burr. 1991. Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fish. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
- Zimmer, K., M. Hanson, M. Butler. 2002. Effects of fathead minnows and restoration on prairie wetland ecosystems. Freshwater Biology, 47: 2071-2086.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pimephales_promelas/ |
Habitat Type: Freshwater
Comments: Lakes, ponds, headwaters, creeks, small rivers, ditches, reservoirs, residual pools of intermittent streams (where sometimes very abundant); usually in sluggish or still water with abundant floating and submerged vegetation; tolerant of high temperature, turbidity, low oxygen, and high salinity. Adapts well to pond culture. Eggs are laid on underside of object in quiet water in nest guarded by male. Larvae collected in shoreline drift in upper Colorado River (where introduced).
On average, fathead minnows live two to three years in the wild and may be limited by high levels of postspawning mortality. Fathead minnows can live for up to 4 years in captivity.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 4 (high) years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 3 years.
- Werner, R. 2004. Freshwater Fishes of the Northwestern United States: A Field Guide. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pimephales_promelas/ |
Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pimephales+promelas |
Throughout much of North America, from Alberta and Northwest Territories to Quebec and New Brunswick, south to Alabama, Texas, northern Mexico (Chihuahua), and New Mexico; introduced in Colorado River drainage (Arizona and New Mexico), Mobile Bay drainage (Alabama), and elsewhere, through use as bait fish; most common in Great Plains, generally absent from mountains, absent on Atlantic Slope south of Delaware River; common over much of range (Page and Burr 1991).
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | © International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources |
Source | http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/191292 |
demersal; freshwater
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Susan M. Luna, FishBase |
Source | http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=4785 |
Maximum longevity: 2 years (wild)
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002 - 2009 by Joao Pedro de Magalhaes |
Source | http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Pimephales_promelas |
Although widely distributed across North America, introductions of fathead minnows as a bait species in Europe have resulted in devastating effects on the wildlife in northern Europe. Its introduction in Europe resulted in the co-introduction of enteric redmouth disease, an organism that negatively affects wild and cultured trout and eels.
- NatureServe. 2010. "NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life" (On-line). Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Accessed May 15, 2011 at http://www.natureserve.org/explorer.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pimephales_promelas/ |
occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | NatureServe |
Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Pimephales+promelas |
Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.