Rhinichthys osculus
Speckled Dace
FR: naseux moucheté · ES: carpita pinta
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Cypriniformes (Carps and Minnows)
Cyprinidae (Carps and Minnows)
Rhinichthys
Rhinichthys osculus (Speckled Dace)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: elongated. Body elongate, greatest depth in front of dorsal fin. Head bluntly triangular, a small but distinct hump present behind the head. Mouth inferior, sucker-like, lower jaw with fleshy lip. Overall coloration gray or gray-brown with scattered and vague darker flecks, usually above midline of sides; lower sides and belly somewhat yellowish or creamy white. A faint lateral band present. Striking features: none.
Distribution
North America: western drainages (Pacific and endorheic) from Columbia River in British Columbia, Canada to Colorado River in Arizona and New Mexico, USA and south into Sonora, Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. demersal. Found in: streams, lakes.
Biology
Occurs in rocky riffles, runs and pools of headwaters, creeks and small to medium rivers; rarely in lakes (Ref. 5723, 86798).
Max length: 11.0 cm TL; common length: 6.2 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2018-09-10. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
References
Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman (1973) Freshwater fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 184: xi+1-966.
Balon, E.K. (1975) Reproductive guilds of fishes: a proposal and definition. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 32(6):821-864.
Coker, G.A., C.B. Portt and C.K. Minns (2001) Morphological and ecological characteristics of Canadian freshwater fishes. Can. MS Rpt. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2554:iv+89p.
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr (2011) A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p.
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