Disclaimer:

The Nonindigenous Occurrences section of the NAS species profiles has a new structure. The section is now dynamically updated from the NAS database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information. Occurrences are summarized in Table 1, alphabetically by state, with years of earliest and most recent observations, and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed. The table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states, years, and drainages selected. References to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the Table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables.




Moxostoma erythrurum
Moxostoma erythrurum
(Golden Redhorse)
Fishes
Native Transplant

Copyright Info
Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque, 1818)

Common name: Golden Redhorse

Taxonomy: available through www.itis.govITIS logo

Identification: Becker (1983); Page and Burr (1991); Etnier and Starnes (1993); Jenkins and Burkhead (1994).

Size: 78 cm.

Native Range: Great Lakes, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Mississippi River basins from New York and southern Ontario to North Dakota, and south to northern Alabama and southern Oklahoma, with an isolated population in southwestern Mississippi; Atlantic Slope from Potomac River, Maryland, to Roanoke River, North Carolina (absent in Rappahannock and York River drainages), and Mobile Bay drainage in Georgia, Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee (Page and Burr 1991).

Native range data for this species provided in part by NatureServe NS logo
Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) Explained
Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Nonindigenous Occurrences:

Table 1. States with nonindigenous occurrences, the earliest and latest observations in each state, and the tally and names of HUCs with observations†. Names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records. The list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of Moxostoma erythrurum are found here.

StateFirst ObservedLast ObservedTotal HUCs with observations†HUCs with observations†
DC201020102Middle Potomac-Anacostia-Occoquan; Middle Potomac-Catoctin
MD199420104Cacapon-Town; Conococheague-Opequon; Middle Potomac-Catoctin; Monocacy
TX197519751San Marcos
VA198619985Conococheague-Opequon; Kanawha; Middle Potomac-Catoctin; Potomac; Rapidan-Upper Rappahannock
WV195319943Gauley; Middle New; South Branch Potomac

Table last updated 12/3/2024

† Populations may not be currently present.


Means of Introduction: Unknown. First appeared in the South Branch Potomac, West Virginia, in two tributaries in 1953. Not collected again until 1971. The first record from the Gauley system was in 1976 (Jenkins and Burkhead 1994).

Status: Established in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Impact of Introduction: The impacts of this species are currently unknown, as no studies have been done to determine how it has affected ecosystems in the invaded range. The absence of data does not equate to lack of effects. It does, however, mean that research is required to evaluate effects before conclusions can be made.

References: (click for full references)

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

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

Hocutt, C. H., R. E. Jenkins, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr. 1986. Zoogeography of the fishes of the central Appalachians and central Atlantic Coastal Plain. Pages 161--212 in C. H. Hocutt, and E. O. Wiley, editors. The Zoogeography of North American Freshwater Fishes. John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY.

Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.

Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. The Peterson Field Guide Series, volume 42. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.

Starnes, W.C., J. Odenkirk, and M.J. Ashton. 2011. Update and analysis of fish occurrences in the lower Potomac River drainage in the vicinity of Plummers Island, Maryland—Contribution XXXI to the natural history of Plummers Island, Maryland. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 124(4):280-309.

Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1993. The fishes of West Virginia. West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Unpublished manuscript. 1114 pp.

Tilmant, J. T. 1999. Management of nonindigenous aquatic fish in the U.S. National Park System. National Park Service. 50 pp.

Other Resources:
FishBase Summary

Author: Fuller, P.

Revision Date: 1/20/2012

Peer Review Date: 1/20/2012

Citation Information:
Fuller, P., 2024, Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque, 1818): U.S. Geological Survey, Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL, https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=365, Revision Date: 1/20/2012, Peer Review Date: 1/20/2012, Access Date: 12/3/2024

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.

Disclaimer:

The data represented on this site vary in accuracy, scale, completeness, extent of coverage and origin. It is the user's responsibility to use these data consistent with their intended purpose and within stated limitations. We highly recommend reviewing metadata files prior to interpreting these data.

Citation information: U.S. Geological Survey. [2024]. Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. Gainesville, Florida. Accessed [12/3/2024].

Contact us if you are using data from this site for a publication to make sure the data are being used appropriately and for potential co-authorship if warranted.

For general information and questions about the database, contact Wesley Daniel. For problems and technical issues, contact Matthew Neilson.