Common name: Plains Minnow

Taxonomy: available through www.itis.gov

Identification: Woodling (1985); Robison and Buchanan (1988); Sublette et al. (1990); Page and Burr (1991).

Size: 13 cm.

Native Range: Missouri, Arkansas, Red, Brazos, and Colorado River drainages, from Montana and North Dakota south to New Mexico and Texas; Mississippi River from mouth of Missouri River to mouth of Ohio River (Page and Burr 1991).

Alaska	Hawaii	Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands	Guam Saipan

Native range data for this species provided in part by NatureServe

Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) Explained
Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Means of Introduction: Bait bucket release. It was apparently introduced in 1968 into the Pecos River system of New Mexico from the Canadian drainage (Sublette et al. 1990) and spread downstream to Texas.

Status: Established and very abundant in the Pecos River in New Mexico and Texas. Bestgen et al. (1989) stated that the species is now the most abundant fish in the Pecos River and accounted for more than 80% of the catch at some sites. Tyus et al. (1982) listed it as an incidental record in the Colorado River basin, a category that was defined as occurring in very low numbers and known from only a few point collections.

Impact of Introduction: The extirpation of the native Rio Grande silvery minnow, Hybognathus amarus, from the Pecos River has been attributed to wholesale displacement by introduced H. placitus through competitive exclusion (Hoagstrom et al. 2010). Hybognathus amarus was last taken in the Pecos River in 1968 (Bestgen et al. 1989).

Remarks: Voucher specimens: Texas (TNHC 15686, TNHC 5654).

References: (click for full references)

Bestgen, K.R., S.P. Platania, J.E. Brooks, and D.L. Propst. 1989. Dispersal and life history traits of Notropis girardi (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), introduced into the Pecos River, New Mexico. American Midland Naturalist 122:228-235.

Hoagstrom, C.W., N.D. Zymonas, S.R. Davenport, D.L. Propst, and J.E. Brooks. 2010. Rapid species replacements between fishes of the North American plains: a case history from the Pecos River. Aquatic Invasions 5:141-153.

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

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1998. Fishes of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, AR.

Sublette, J.E., M.D. Hatch, and M. Sublette. 1990. The fishes of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM.

Tyus, H.M., B.D. Burdick, R.A. Valdez, C.M. Haynes, T.A. Lytle, and C.R. Berry. 1982. Fishes of the upper Colorado River basin: distribution, abundance, and status. 12-70 in W.H. Miller, H.M. Tyus, and C.A. Carlson, eds. Fishes of the upper Colorado River system: present and future, Western Division, American Fisheries Society.

Woodling, J. 1985. Colorado's little fish: a guide to the minnows and other lesser known fishes in the state of Colorado. Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver, CO.

Other Resources:
Biota Information System of New Mexico (BISON-M)

Author: Pam Fuller, and Matt Neilson

Peer Review Date: 2/2/2012

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.