Cyprinella lepida

plateau shiner

Type Locality

Rio Frio (tributary Rio Nueces), either Real or Uvalde Co., Texas (Girard 1857).

Etymology/Derivation of Scientific Name

Cyprinella – small carp; lepida – scaled, referring to its large scales (Scharpf 2005).

Synonymy:

Cyprinella lepida Girard 1857:197-198; Lytle (1972); Matthews (1987); Hubbs et al. 1991:17; Edwards et al. 2004).

Notropis bubalinus Jordan and Evermann (1896).

Notropis lutrensis luxiloides Hubbs 1953:226.

Notropis lepidus Hubbs 1954:283.

Notropis lutrensis Hubbs (1972); Matthews 1980:285.

A genetic study of Cyprinella lepida populations in the Frio, Nueces, and Sabinal rivers indicated that the Nueces River population is a distinct species (Richardson and Gold 1995; Edwards et al. 2004). The population inhabiting the Nueces River is now referred to as the Nueces River shiner (Cyprinella sp.; Richardson and Gold 1995); formal naming of this species is pending. It has been noted that nomenclature may be problematic as Girard (1857) described Cyprinella lepida from material taken from the Frio River [these materials were lost (Hubbs 1954)], whereas nearly all morphological information describing C. lepida (Matthews et al. 1987; Mayden 1989) is from the apparently distinct C. sp. in the Nueces River (Richardson and Gold 1995; Edwards et al. 2004). Matthews (1987) examined only four specimens from the Frio River, and all material used by Mayden (1989) was from the Nueces River (C. sp.; Richardson and Gold 1995).

Characters

Maximum size: 75 mm TL (Page and Burr 1991).

Coloration: Girard (1857) described Frio River specimens as light reddish above, pale sulphur-yellow beneath. Matthews (1987) gave a composite description of peak nuptial coloration based on individuals from both the Nueces (this population since recognized as C. sp.; Richardson and Gold 1995) and Frio (4 specimens) river populations; difference in coloration between the two species is noted: Dorsum of head green; eye orange; narrow bluish or purplish vertical bar at front of peropercle; opercle gold-orange or yellow; purple or dark blue scapular bar, wider dorsally and narrowing ventrally near pectoral base; middorsum anterior to dorsal fin dark green in some; upper two-thirds of sides distinctly cross-hatched as is typical of Cyprinella, dark in appearance upper and becoming little pigmented below the decurved lateral line; scales of upper sides are yellow gold with a purple-blue posterior border, giving an overall distinctive orange wash against purple throughout upper sides, strongest anteriorly; dorsal fin with yellow on distal portions of membranes in some; pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins entirely bright yellow, almost canary; anal fin yellow, yellow-orange, or red-orange; sides often with a dark but diffuse lateral band wide or wider than eye, fading anteriorly in some; Matthews (1987) indicated that only Frio River specimens (C. lepida) had red nuptial coloration at tip of snout.

Counts:

Mouth position: Slightly subinferior (Hubbs et al. 1991).

Body shape: Head blunt and rounded; snout length plus upper jaw length 17% or less of standard length; body slenderer, distance between dorsal and anal fin origins 24-29% of standard length (higher percentages for adult males, lower percentages for young females); upper jaw length greater than snout length; distance from origin of anal fin to end of caudal peduncle contained two and one-half or fewer times in distance from tip of snout to origin of anal fin (Hubbs et al. 1991). Girard (1957) described specimens from the Frio River: body elongated and fusiform; the greatest depth taken upon the anterior third of the body, being contained four and one-half times in the total length; the head forming slightly less than the fourth of the same length. Head is well developed; eye circular, the diameter is contained four times in the length of the side of the head.

External morphology: Tubercles on head of dominant male larger on occiput than on snout; dorsal fin less triangular, last fin ray about one-half length of the longest; predorsal scales crowded; first obvious dorsal fin ray a thin splint, closely attached to the following well developed but unbranched fin ray, especially at tip; lower lip thin without a fleshy lobe; lateral line usually not decurved, either straight or with a broad arch; premaxillaries protractile; upper lip separated from skin of snout by a deep groove continuous across the midline; cartilaginous ridge of lower jaw hardly evident and not separated by a definite groove from the lower lip (Hubbs et al. 1991). Scales are larger than those of “hitherto known cogeners” (Girard 1857; noted in partial description of specimens from the Frio River).

Internal morphology: Intestine simple S-shaped loop (Hubbs et al. 1991).

Distribution (Native and Introduced)

U.S. distribution: NA

Texas distribution: Cyprinella lepida is an endemic species inhabiting the Frio and Sabinal rivers (Richardson and Gold 1995; Edwards et al. 2004). May be endemic to the upper reaches of the Guadalupe River Basin (Mayden 1989; Hubbs et al. 1991; Page and Burr 1991), this is undergoing further investigation (Edwards et al. 2004). Warren et al. (2000) listed distribution of Cyprinella lepida in the state (question mark following drainage unit represents “native with reservation” category): San Antonio Bay drainage unit (including minor coastal drainages west of mouth of Colorado River to mouth of Nueces River) (?), Nueces River drainage unit.

Abundance/Conservation status (Federal, State, NGO)

Cyprinella lepida listed as critically imperiled/imperiled (Edwards Plateau region of southwest Texas; The Nature Conservancy 2004; Scharpf 2005); vulnerable (Warren et al. 2000). Cyprinella population sizes have declined significantly in the Frio and Sabinal rivers over the past 20 years (Richardson and Gold 1995; Edwards et al. 2004); decline markedly evident in the Sabinal River where Cyprinella was found only in the very headwaters in Lost Maples State Natural Area (Richardson and Gold 1995).

Habitat Associations

Macrohabitat: Inhabits clear, cool, spring-fed headwater creeks (Hubbs 1954; Edwards et al. 2004).

Mesohabitat: Found over gravel and limestone substrates (Page and Burr 1991; Edwards et al. 2004).

Biology

Spawning season:

Spawning habitat:

Spawning Behavior:

Fecundity: 

Age at maturation: 

Migration:

Growth and Population structure: 

Longevity:

Food habits:

Phylogeny and morphologically similar fishes

Similar to the Nueces River shiner (Cyprinella sp.). Matthews (1987) examined C. sp. from the Nueces River and C. lepida from the Frio and Sabinal rivers and noted that male nuptial coloration of the four C. lepida specimens included red on the tip of the snout which was not exhited by Cyprinella inhabiting the Nueces River (Matthews 1987; Richardson and Gold 1995).

Cyprinella lepida is similar to both the proserpine shiner (C. proserpina) and the red shiner (C. lutrensis): C. lepida has a slightly subinferior mouth; the head is blunt and rounded; snout length plus upper jaw length 17% or more of standard length; body is slenderer, with distance between dorsal and anal origins 24-29% of SL (higher figures for adult males, lower figures for young females); tubercles on head of high males larger on occiput than on snout; the black median stripe on chin extends no farther posteriorly than below eye; and upper jaw length is greater than snout length (Hubbs 1954). C. proserpina differs from C. lepida in that tubercles on head of C. proserpina high males are larger on snout than on occiput; C. proserpina with distinct black median stripe from the chin to the isthmus, and the snout length is greater than upper jaw length (Hubbs 1954). The red shiner (C. lutrensis) differs from C. lepida in having a more terminal mouth, sharp and compressed head, snout length plus upper jaw length 17% or less of SL, and the body is usually deeper with a distance between dorsal origin and anal origin 26-36% of SL (higher figures for adult males, lower figures for young females; Hubbs 1954). Differences in nuptial coloration between C. lepida and C. lutrensis are apparent: scales of upper sides on C. lepida distinctly contrasting with those of C. lutrensis in that each scale is yellow gold with a purple-blue posterior border, giving an overall distinctive orange wash against purple throughout upper sides, strongest anteriorly; none of the fins of C. lepida representing the more red coloration of typical C. lutrensis north

of Mexico (Matthews 1987).

Natural hybrid with the blacktail shiner (Cyprinella venusta) reported from the upper Guadalupe River (Hubbs et al. 1953; Hubbs 1954).

Host Records

Commercial or Environmental Importance

References

Edwards, R.J., G.P. Garrett, and N.L. Allan. 2004. Aquifer-dependent fishes of the Edwards Plateau region. Chapter 13, pp. 253-268 in: Mace, R.E., E.S. Angle, and W.F. Mullican, III (eds.). Aquifers of the Edwards Plateau. Texas Water Development Board. 360 pp.

Girard, C. F. 1857. Researches upon the Cyprinoid fishes inhabiting the fresh waters of the United States of America, west of the Mississippi Valley, from specimens in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1856) 8(5):165-213.

Hubbs, C. 1954. Corrected distributional records for Texas fresh-water fishes. Texas Journal of Science 1954(3):277-291.

Hubbs, C. 1972. A checklist of Texas freshwater fishes. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Tech. Ser. 11. 11 p.

Hubbs, C. R.A. Kuehne, and J.C. Ball. 1953. Fishes of the upper Guadalupe River, Texas. The Texas Journal of Science 5(2):216-244.

Hubbs, C., R.J. Edwards, and G.P. Garrett. 1991. An annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of Texas, with keys to identification of species. Texas Journal of Science, Supplement 43(4):1-56.

Jordan, D.S., and B.W. Evermann. 1896. The Fishes of North and Middle America. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. 47(1):1-1240.

Lytle, G.L. 1972. Cyprinid fishes of the subgenus Cyprinella of Notropis from southeast Texas, U.S.A., and Northeast Mexico. M.S. Thesis, Arizona State University. 75 pp.

Matthews, W.J.  1980.  Notropis lutrensis (Baird and Girard), Red shiner. p. 285. In: D. S. Lee, C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister & J. R. Stauffer, Jr. (eds.), Atlas of North American freshwater fishes, North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, 854 pp.

Matthews, W.J. 1987. Geographic variation in Cyprinella lutrensis (Pisces, Cyprinidae) in the United States, with notes on Cyprinella lepida. Copeia (3):616-637.

Mayden, R.L. 1989. Phylogenetic studies of North American minnows, with emphasis on the genus Cyprinella (Teleostei: Cypriniformes). Mis. Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist., Univ. Kansas 80:1-189.

Nature Conservancy, The. 2004. A Biodiversity and Conservation Assessment of the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion. Edwards Plateau Ecoregional Planning Team, The Nature Conservancy, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Richardson, L.R., and J.R. Gold. 1995. Evolution of the Cyprinella lutrensis species-complex. II. Systematics and biogeography of the Edwards Plateau shiner, Cyprinella lepida. Copeia 1995(1):28-37.

Scharpf, C. 2005. Annotated checklist of North American freshwater fishes, including subspecies and undescribed forms, Part 1: Petromyzontidae through Cyprinidae. American Currents, Special Publication 31(4):1-44.

Warren, M.L., Jr., B.M. Burr, S.J. Walsh, H.L. Bart, Jr., R.C. Cashner, D.A. Etnier, B.J. Freeman, B.R. Kuhajda, R.L. Mayden, H.W. Robison, S.T. Ross, and W.C. Starnes. 2000. Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States. Fisheries 25(10):7-29.