Macrhybopsis hyostoma

Shoal chub

Type Locality

East Fork of White River, at Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana (Gilbert 1884).

Etymology/Derivation of Scientific Name

Macrhybopsis, Greek macros (Latinized stem macr-), “long” and genus Hybopsis, alluding to the elongated body form; hystomus, hyo from Greek hyos, “hog,” and stoma, “mouth” (Boschung and Mayden 2004).

Synonymy

Nocomis hyostomus (Gilbert 1884)

Hybopsis hyostomus (Jordan and Evermann 1896)

Extrarius aestivalis hyostomus (by C. L. Hubbs; see Eisenhour 2004)

Hybopsis aestivalis hyostomus

Macrhybopsis aestivalis hyostomus

Macrhybopsis hyostoma (Eisenhour 2004)

Characters

Maximum size: Largest female, 76 mm TL; largest male, 66 mm TL (Eisenhour 1997).

Coloration:  Straw color dorsally, white ventrally.  Small to large pigments on dorsal.  Pigmentation on fins variable, usually along rays of pectoral, pelvic, dorsal, anal and caudal fins. 

Counts:  Pharyngeal teeth 0,4-4,0; lateral line scales 36-39; dorsal fin rays 8; principal caudal fin rays 19 (15-21); anal fin rays 8 (7-10); pelvic fin rays 7-8 (6-9); pectoral fin rays 13-16 (11-18; Eisenhour 2004).

Body shape:  Dorsally humped and ventrally flattened; rounded snout

Mouth position:  Horizontal and subterminal (almost inferior)

External morphology:  One or two pairs of maxillary barbels present; anterior barbel short or absent (Brazos and Colorado rivers, TX), posterior barbel length usually greater than orbit length (Eisenhour 2004).  Eyes set high on head, cross-eyed appearance when viewed from above. 

Distribution (Native and Introduced)

U.S. distribution:  Central U.S. from Lavaca River drainage (TX) east and north to the Mississippi River drainage (streams of the West Gulf Slope and Mississippi River basin; Eisenhour 2004). Found in the main-channel of the lower Red River; also found in the middle and lower parts of the Arkansas River drainage (Benke and Cushing 2005).

Texas distribution:  Texas drainages east of the Lavaca River (Underwood et al. 2003, Eisenhour 2004).

Abundance/Conservation status (Federal, State, NGO)

Common in some areas whereas extirpated in many river systems throughout their range (Luttrell et al. 2002, Eisenhour 2004).  Currently stable in the lower Brazos River (Runyan and Bonner, TWDB Report).

Habitat Associations

Macrohabitat:  Medium to large rivers (Eisenhour 1997; Winemiller et al. 2004).

Mesohabitat:  Typically found in swift current velocities (Eisenhour 1997; Winemiller et al. 2004) in both shallow and deep water.  Considered a habitat specialist, preferring run habitats with clean sand or pea-size gravel substrates (Luttrell et al. 2002).  Common in streams with well-defined habitats, braided channels or shift sand and gravel bars (Eisenhour 1997). Common in shallow water at night (Trautman 1981; Klutho 1983; Boschung and Mayden 2004).

Biology

Spawning season:  Mid-May to late August (Minckley 1959; Cross 1967; Becker 1983; Boschung and Mayden 2004).  Brazos River population assessed by C. W. Williams. 

Spawning habitat:  Open water

Spawning behavior:  Likely similar to Macrhybopsis tetranema (peppered chub), which is a flood-pulse spawner (Bottrell et al. 1964; Miller and Robison 2004):  Pelagic-broadcast; spawn transparent, non-adhesive, semi-buoyant eggs during midday.  Eggs develop as they drift, hatching within 28 hours, and the larvae continue to drift after hatching (Bottrell et al. 1964; Platania and Altenbach 1998).

Fecundity: Egg diameters likely similar to M. aestivalis—2.5 mm suspended in main currents of large rivers (Bottrell et al. 1964).  Brazos River population assessed by C. W. Williams. 

Age at maturation: 1 year (Starrett 1951; Luttrell 1999).

Migration  Likely (Bonner 2000)

Growth and Population Structure:  Information available (C. W. Williams) pending review. Winemiller et al. (2004) reported Brazos River, Texas population consisting of at least three age groups (age 0, 1, and 2): Age-0 fish (year class 2004) were collected May – August 2004); age-1 fish (year class 2003) and age-2 fish were collected November 2003 – July 2004; density of fish was consistent through the year and rather weakly associated with peak discharge.

Longevity: 1-2 years (Starrett 1950).

Food habits:  Aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and plant material (Starrett 1950).  Observations of captive specimens suggested that taste buds on body, fins, and barbels are stimulated by food substances as fish swim along the bottom with barbels touching the substrate. In aquaria, fish consumed various types of animal foods and animal detritus, and plant materials (Davis and Miller 1967; Miller and Robison 2004). Diet of fishes from the Brazos River is available (C. W. Williams) pending review. 

Phylogeny and morphologically similar fishes

See Eisenhour 2004 for full description.  Similar to several taxa formerly known as the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex.  Allopatric with other species in the complex in Texas except in the Colorado River drainage (sympatric with M. marconis) and Red River drainage (sympatric with M. australis; Underwood et al. 2003)

Host Records

Commercial or Environmental Importance

References

Becker, G.C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, 1052 pp.

Benke, A.C., and C.E. Cushing. 2005. Rivers of North America. Academic Press, Boston. 1168 pp.

Bonner, T.H. 2000. Habitat use and reproductive ecology of the Arkansas River shiner and peppered chub in the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas. Ph.D. dissertation, Texas Tech University, Lubbock.

Boschung, H.T., Jr., and R.L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Books, Washington. 736 pp.

Bottrell, C.E., R.H. Ingersol, and R.W. Jones. 1964. Notes on the embryology, early development, and behavior of Hybopsis aestivalis tetranemus (Gilbert). Transactions of the Microscopial Society 83(4):391-399.

Conner, J.D., and R.D. Suttkus. 1986. Zoogeography of freshwater fishes of the western gulf slope of North America, p. 413-456. In: Hocutt, C. H. and E. O. Wiley (eds.). The Zoogeography of North American Freshwater Fishes. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 866 pp.

Cross, F.B. 1967. Handbook of fishes of Kansas. Univ. Kansas Misc. Publ. 45:1-357.

Cross, F.B., and R.E. Moss. 1987. Historic changes in fish communities and aquatic habitats in plains streams of Kansas. pp. 155-165 In: Matthews, W. J., and D. C. Heins, eds., Community and evolutionary ecology of North American stream fishes. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman.

Davis, B.J., and R.J. Miller. 1967. Brain patterns in minnows of the genus Hybopsis in relation to feeding habits and habitat. Copeia 1967(1):1-39.

Eisenhour, D.J. 1997. Systematics, variation, and speciation of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) west of the Mississippi River. Ph. D. dissertation Southern Illinois University, Carbodale. 260 pp.

Eisenhour , D.J. 1999. Systematics of Macrhybobsis tetranema (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Copeia 1999: 969-980

Eisenhour, D.J. 2004. Systematics, variation, and speciation of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex west of the Mississippi River. Bulletin Alabama Museum of Natural History 23:9-48.

Etnier, D.A., and W.C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 681 pp.

Klutho, M.A. 1983. Seasonal, daily, and spatial variation of shoreline fishes in the Mississippi River at Grand Tower, Illinois. Unpubl. M. S. Thesis, Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale.

Luttrell, G.R., A.A. Echelle, W.L. Fisher, and D.J. Eisenhour. 1999. Declining status of two species of the Macrhybobsis aestivalis complex (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in the Arkansas River Basin and related effects of reservoirs as barriers to dispersal. Copeia 1999: 981-989

Luttrell, G.R., A.A. Echelle, and W.L. Fisher. 2002. Habitat correlates of the distribution of Macrhybopsis hyostoma (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in western reaches of the Arkansas River Basin. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 105(3-4):153-161.

Mayden, R.L. 1989. Phylogenetic studies of North American minnows, with emphasis on the genus Cyprinella (Teleostei: Cypriniformes). University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Misc. Publ. (80):1-189.

Miller, R.J., and H.W. Robison. 2004. Fishes of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. 450 pp.

Minckley, W. L. 1959. Fishes of the Big Blue River Basin, Kansas. Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist. 11:401-442.

Platania, S.P., and C.S. Altenbach. 1998. Reproductive strategies and egg types of seven Rio Grande Basin cyprinids. Copeia 1998(3):559-569.

Reno, H.W. 1969. Cephalic lateral-line systems of the cyprinid genus Hybopsis. Copeia 1969:736-773.

Starrett, W.C. 1950. Food relationships of the minnows and darters of the Des Moines River, Iowa. Ecology 31(2):216-233.

Starrett, W.C. 1951. Some factors affecting the abundance of minnows in the Des Moines River, Iowa. Ecology 32(1):13-27.

Trautman, M.B. 1981. The Fishes of Ohio. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, 782 pp.

Underwood, D.M., A.A. Echelle, D.J. Eisenhour, M.D. Jones, A.F. Echelle, W.L. Fisher. 2003. Genetic variation in western members of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), with emphasis on those of the Red and Arkansas river basins. Copeia 2003(3):493-501.

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.

Winemiller, K.O., F.P. Gelwick, T. Bonner, S. Zueg, and C.Williams. 2004. Response of Oxbow Lake Biota to Hydrologic Exchanges with the Brazos River Channel. Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas State University to Texas Water Development Board.