Rhinichthys cataractae
Identification Tips:
• Long streamlined body, nearly round in cross-section, but slightly flattened on bottom
• Long snout, with mouth facing downward
• Upper lip is attached to the snout with a fleshy connector (frenum)
• Barbel at corners of mouth
• Fry have horizontal stripe full length of body
• To 15 cm in some populations
• Impossible to distinguish in the field between two forms found found in Fraser Valley Nooksack Dace (Endangered) and Columbia Longnose Dace
Conservation Status:
| British Columbia | Canada | Natureserve | |
| COSEWIC | Species at Risk Act | ||
| Not at Risk (Yellow List) | Not Assessed | None | G5 N5 S5 |
Information Source: BC Conservation Data Centre: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/
Life History:
• Spawn in spring
• Males prepare a nest, court females and defend eggs until hatch
• Primarily nocturnal
• Feed on a variety of aquatic invertebrates
Habitat:
• Typically found among gravel cobble or boulder in fast flowing areas of rivers and streams
•
• A unique lake-dwelling population occurs along the rocky shores of Chilliwack Lake
Range:
British Columbia
• Found in most rivers of mainland BC
• Absent from north coast rivers except the Skeena and Nass rivers
Global
• Widest geographic range of any North American minnow
• Found from Atlantic to Pacific; Arctic to northern Mexico
Comments:
• Two forms of Longnose Dace Columbia Longnose Dace, and Nooksack • Dace colonized the Fraser Valley after glaciation via different routes
• Nooksack dace are known only from Fraser Valley in Canada: Brunette River, Pepin Creek, Bertrand Creek, Fishtrap Creek
• Columbia Form are in Fraser Valley occur in Fraser River, Coquihalla River and Norrish Creek
Hybrid forms are found in Coquitlam River, Alouette River, Kanaka Creek, and Chilliwack River watershed
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Primary Information Source:
McPhail, J.D. 2007. The Freshwater Fishes of British Columbia. University of Alberta Press. Edmonton, Alberta.
