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Fishes of Minnesota - Topeka shiner Notropis topeka


Mound Creek, Rock County, Minnesota 17 August 1988


Find out more about the Topeka shiner in Minnesota:

Conservation Status

Listed as Federally Endangered by US Fish and Wildlife Service, effective 14 January 1999 (http://www.fws.gov/r9endspp/endspp.html)

Listed in the state as Special Concern by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (URL), effective(http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_and_wildlife/endangered_species/index.html)

Distribution

Historically, the Topeka shiner occupied roughly 175 low-order, prairie streams in the central portion of the Great Plains (1). Today, it is absent from many of those streams and occurs at only 20% its historic sites (Tabor 1998). The species clearly is on the decline in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa, but it may be holding its own in South Dakota and Minnesota.

Recent studies by this author in Minnesota have shown that Topeka shiners are far more common than once was thought. Although the species is restricted to the Missouri River drainage of southwestern Minnesota, it has been found to date at 53 sites in 34 different watersheds (2). Sampling in Minnesota is continuing.

Why Has the Topeka Shiner Declined?

Cross and Moss (1987) attribute the general decline of several prairie species to the "unstable water levels, loss of aquatic vegetation, and increasing temperatures and turbidity" resulting from agricultural development of the Great Plains. We know that accelerated erosion has added a larger and more continuous sediment load to most prairie streams than they experienced when bison were the chief contributor to sediment loading. We also know that small streams and creeks of the Great Plains frequently become intermittent during the low-flow period of late summer. In pre-agricultural times, pools in these streams were maintained by groundwater percolation and, presumably, Topeka shiners adapted to this type of flow regime (see Minckley and Cross 1959 and Habitat below). Many human activities now compete for both ground and surface waters in our prairie states, leaving many small streams nearly to completely dry in late summer. Because Topeka shiners prefer pool habitats, they may become trapped there during low flows and die from anoxia or exposure. Kerns (1983) noted "high mortality" of Topeka shiners in Kansas from just these conditions, despite this species' exceptional "drought resistance." In addition, we can also speculate that further habitat alteration from activities such as ditching, channelization and impoundment may be contributing to the documented loss of Topeka shiner populations (Tabor 1998).

In Minnesota, we do not know how these activities have impacted the Topeka shiner's ability to occupy habitat, to feed and to reproduce because we know very little about the particulars of this species' life history and ecological requirements. Nor are we yet certain of how many populations exist or how large they are. For these reasons, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Bell Museum of Natural History are cooperating in a study of this species in Minnesota. Some of what we have discovered so far and what we know from other studies is summarized below.

Habitat

One of the earliest descriptions of Topeka shiner habitat appears in Evermann and Cox (1896), where they report taking the species in "pond-like, isolated portions of streams which dry up in parts of their course during dry weather." They characterize the ponds as clear and cool with spring seeps, "an abundance of water vegetation", and "mostly soft mud" bottoms. There is no other detailed description until that of Minckley and Cross (1959), who studied the species in eastern Kansas. They found Topeka shiners "almost exclusively in quiet, open pools of small, clear streams that drain upland prairies." The streams typically were "a series of large pools . . . connected by short riffles and smaller pools; their flow [was] usually less than five cubic feet per second" and their bottoms "predominantly gravel, with some rubble and sand." They noted that "[i]n summer, the pools often develop plankton blooms, but rooted aquatic vegetation is uncommon." This species occupied "riffles only when . . . exceptionally abundant" and was "rarely found in streams that maintain a continuously strong flow" and was "not found in streams that are muddy and highly intermittent." However, "many of the streams . . . approach intermittency in summer" but the "pools are maintained at fairly stable levels by percolation through the gravel or by springs." Cross (1967) largely reiterated the above and added that "[p]robably many western streams provided this kind of habitat prior to plowing of the prairie sod."

Pflieger (1975) confirmed similar habitat characteristics for populations in Missouri, noting that extant populations were "largely restricted to direct tributaries of the Missouri River having sufficient gradient to prevent extensive deposition of silt." While such characteristics may be preferred by this species and apparently was typical of Kansas and Missouri populations, we now know that in the northwestern portion of its range Topeka shiners commonly occur in periodically turbid waters whose sand, gravel or rubble bottoms are covered by 5 cm or more of silt and detritus (the current study; Michl and Peters 1993; Elsen 1977). Further, we have discovered that Topeka shiners often are far more abundant (catches often greater than 100 individuals) in off-channel oxbows and excavated pools than they are in main channel pools and runs (Table 1). Preliminary sampling in similar habitats in northwestern Iowa has produced limited but similar results (3). A seasonal systematic study of relative abundance among these habitat types will be carried out in 1999.

Life Cycle

Spawning Period--Cross and Collins (1995) report that Topeka shiners spawn from late June to August in Kansas. Based on an analysis of seasonal changes in GSI, Kerns (1983) delimits the Butler Co., Kansas, breeding season as late May through July. Pflieger (1975) reports the same season for Missouri populations. Despite the more northern location of our populations, two years of study of seasonal ovarian development has shown spawning seasons of early June to early August (1997) and mid-May to the end of July (1998). In both years, spawning start-up corresponded to water temperatures of 22 degrees C, the same early spawning temperatures found by Kerns (1983). In 1997, spawning continued during a period when water temperatures reached 31 degrees C. Working with captive Topekas, Katula (1998) induced spawning by slowly increasing water temperatures from 21.1 to 24.4 degrees C in one instance and from 22.2 to 25.6 degrees C in another.

Spawning Habitat and Behavior--Observations by Kerns (1983) and Pflieger (1975) indicate that Topeka shiners spawn in pools over gravel and rubble substrates in association with green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus ) and orangespotted sunfish (L. humilis) nests. Our observations suggest the use of rubble, boulder, and concrete rip-rap at the margins of pools and slow runs. In most but not all cases, breeding male orangespotted or green sunfish have been captured in the same locations. Both Kerns and Pflieger report breeding male Topeka shiners defending small territories (<0.25 m2) near the sunfish nests. We have observed this same behavior on 3 occasions at the one location where these fish could be clearly seen. Katula (1998) noted aggressive defense of territory in his captive shiners. A male would chase females as well as other males. Only persistent females elicited spawning behavior from the territorial male. Katula describes the spawning act as head to head, upright spawning in midwater. "Several eggs" were spawned during each of two to four brief sessions.

Embryonic and Larval Periods--Katula (1998) reports an incubation period of 5 days at 22.2 dgrees C. Four days later free-swimming larvae were observed. Feeding commenced soon afterward and included live brine shrimp nauplii after 16 days. We have not yet completed our meristic and morphometric studies of larvae set to us by Katula.

Age of Maturation and Fecundity--Most male and female Topeka shiners likely reach maturation at 12-14 months of age (Kerns 1983; Pflieger 1975; Cross 1967), but the determining factor is probably size rather than age (Kerns 1983). In his Kansas study, Kerns (1983) found that males smaller than 47 mm total length were never mature nor were females smaller than 37 mm total length.

It is clear from our examination of ovarian develop that Topeka shiners are multiple-clutch spawners (i.e., they spawn more than one set of eggs during a spawning season, see Heins 1990). Multiple-clutch spawning allows a small fish with limited abdominal volume to produce a greater number of eggs during a season without having to substantially decrease the size of each egg (4). Kerns (1983) provides the only estimates of clutch size from southern populations. He reports an average of 356 mature ova from 1-year-olds and 819 from 2-year olds, with a range of 140-1712 (total N = 32). Our preliminary results from 1997 show a much lower mean of 267 ± 43 (2SE) with all ages combined (N = 25). We are using the methods of Heins and Rabito (1986) and may be more conservative in the ova we count as mature. We also are not finding strong relationships between clutch size and body size of the females contrary to expectation and the findings of Kerns (1983). More detailed analyses are currently underway.

Growth and Mortality--Like many of our native minnows, Topeka shiners are short-lived, living for a maximum of 3 years (Kerns 1983; Pflieger 1975; Cross 1967). Age composition of a random subsample of specimens collected by Minckley and Cross (1959) in October 1956 was 75.8% age class 0 (1956 cohort), 19.7% age class I (1955 cohort), and 4.5% age class II (1954 cohort). Age composition for a set of 3 quantitative samples taken by Kerns (1983) in winter, spring and fall 1980 was 90.0%, 9.8% and 0.2% for age classes 0, I, and II, respectively. Our preliminary inspection of our samples suggests similar steep mortality rates between age classes. So far, we have not found fish older than 36 months, using June as month one.

Minckley and Cross (1959) report average total lengths of 28, 48, 58 mm for class 0, I and II fish captured in October 1956, but they did differentiate between sexes. Kerns (1983) reports mean standard lengths of 34.6, 42.5, 53.2 mm for 12-month old, 24-month old, and 36-month old fish taken in May 1981. Fish taken in October 1980 showed first- and second-year lengths of 35.5 and 51.2 mm, respectively, considerably longer fish at age than those collected by Minckley and Cross. Kerns reports a variety of other growth measurements, some of which differentiate between sexes. These measurements suggest that males grow more rapidly than females, a finding noted by Pflieger (1975) and the current study.

Diet

At present, there are no published food studies of this species, and the categorization of the Topeka shiner as an insectivore is based largely on anecdotal accounts (Churchill and Over 1933, Pflieger 1975, Cross and Collins 1995). Kerns (1983) and Cross and Collins (1995) indicate that Topeka shiners function as benthic insectivores but add that they also utilize microcrustaceans, while Pflieger (as cited in Tabor 1998) regards this species as a Onektonic insectivore.O Churchill and Over (1933) notes the consumption of vegetation in their brief anecdote.

In a preliminary study of Minnesota populations, we examined the total gut contents of 65 Topeka shiners collected from four sites in the Rock River drainage (Hatch and Besaw, in review). Our results indicated a highly omnivorous diet that included several kinds of microcrustaceans, other invertebrates, larval fish, algal and vascular plant matter (including seed capsules), and detritus in addition to a variety of immature aquatic insects. More detailed studies are currently underway.

Endnotes
(1) Number of streams estimated from dot maps, tables and text found in the following sources: South Dakota (Owen et al. 1981; Elsen 1977; Nickum and Sinning 1971; Bailey and Allum 1962), Minnesota (Hatch unpub.; Anderson et al. 1977; Eddy and Underhill 1974), Nebraska (Michl and Peter 1993; Bailey and Allum 1962), Iowa (Harlan et al. 1987), Kansas (Kerns and Leon 1982; Cross 1967; Minckley and Cross 1959), and Missouri (Hrabik, 1996; Gelwick and Bruenderman 1996; Pflieger 1971).

(2) Data taken from the James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History Fish Database (hatch001@tc.umn.edu) and the Minnesota Natural Heritage database (richard.baker@dnr.state.mn.us).

(3) Personal communication with Bruce Menzel, Department of Animal Ecology, Iowa State University, bmenzel@iastate.edu.



Literature Cited

Anderson, C. P., J. E. Erickson, J. Ross, and J. C. Underhill. 1977. Revised distribution records of some Minnesota fishes. Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science 43: 3-6.

Bailey, R. M. and M. O. Allum. 1962. Fishes of South Dakota. Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan 119: 1-131.

Churchill, E. P. and W. H. Over. 1933. Fishes of South Dakota. The South Dakota Department of Fish and Game. 87 pp.

Cross, F. B. 1967. Handbook of fishes of Kansas. Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 45:1-357.

Cross, F. B. and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas. University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Educational Series No. 3, 315 pp.

Eddy, S. and J. C. Underhill. 1974. Northern Fishes with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley. 2nd Edition. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 404 pp.

Elsen, D. S. 1977. Distribution of fishes in the James River in North Dakota and South Dakota prior to Garrision and Oahe Diversion Projects. M. S. Thesis, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. 86 pp.

Evermann, Barton W. and U. O. Cox. 1896 A report upon the fishes of the Missouri River basin. Report of United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries 1894: 325-429.

Gelwicks, G. and S. A. Bruenderman. 1996. Status survey for the Topeka shiner in Missouri. Final Report. Missouri Department of Conservation, Fish and Wildlife Research Center, Columbia.

Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 323 pp.

Hatch, J. T. and S. Besaw. (in review). Diverse food use in Minnesota populations of the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka). manuscript submitted to Prairie Naturalist

Heins, D. C. 1990. Field evidence for multiple clutches in the longnose shiner. Copeia. 1990:579-582.

Heins, D. C. and F. G. Rabito, Jr. 1986. Spawning performance in North American minnows: direct evidence of the occurrence of multiple clutch in the genus Notropis. J. Fish Biol. 28:343-357.

Hrabik, R. A. 1996. A new distributional record of Notropis topeka (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) from the Mississippi River drainage in Missouri. Transactions, Missouri Academy of Science 30:1-5.

Katula, R. 1998. Eureka Topeka! (Shiners, that is). Tropical Fish Hobbyist. December, 1998.

Kerns, H. A. 1983. Aspects of the life history of the Topeka shiner, Notropis topeka (Gilbert), in Kansas. unpublished manuscript.

Kerns, H. A. and S. C. Leon. 1982. The occurrence of the Topeka shiner, Notropis topeka (Gilbert), in Buck Creek, Jefferson County, Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Sciences 85:57-58.

Michl, G.T. and E. J. Peters. 1993. New distribution record of the Topeka shiner in Loup Drainage basin in Nebraska. Prairie Naturalist 25: 51-54.

Minckley, W. L. and F. B. Cross. 1959. Distribution, habitat, and abundance of the Topeka shiner Notropis topeka (Gilbert) in Kansas. American Midland Naturalist 61:210-217.

Nickum, J. G. and J. A. Sinning. 1971. Fishes of the Big Souix River: an annotated list. Proceedings of the South Dakota Academy of Science 50: 143-154.

Owen, J. B., D. S. Elsen, and G. W. Russell. 1981. Distribution of fishes in North and South Dakota basins affected by the Garrison Diversion Unit. Fisheries Research Unit, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. 209 pp.

Pflieger, W. L. 1971. A distributional study of Missouri fishes. Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas Publications 20:225-570.

Starrett, W. 1950 Food relationships of the minnows and darters of the Des Moines, Iowa. Ecology 31: 216-233.

Tabor, V. M. 1998. Final rule to list the Topeka shiner as endangered. Federal Register 63(240):69008-69021.



Permission is granted for the non-commercial educational or scientific use of the text and images on this Web document. Please credit the author or authors listed below.

Text by Jay T. Hatch, Photographs by Konrad Schmidt
General College and James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul.

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