The Bridle Shiner is a member of the Minnow family (Cyprinidae). This species has been identified as being of Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Distribution

The Bridle Shiner is found in eastern North America, from eastern Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...

, east to Maine, and south to South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. In Ontario, it is found in lowland areas in the eastern Lake Ontario drainage and the St. Lawrence River. The most stable population is found around the Thousand Islands

Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the...

.

Characteristics

• Small, slender body; somewhat compressed laterally
• Average adult length of 50 mm
• Snout length usually smaller than eye diameter
• Small, angular, terminal mouth
• Large scales; lateral line incomplete
• Straw-coloured, silvery dorsal side with a green-blue iridescence and silvery-white on ventral side
• Prominent black lateral band from tail to snout
• Males develop minute nuptial tubercles on the head, nape and pectoral fin

Habitat and Life History

The Bridle Shiner is found in quiet areas of streams and occasionally in lakes. It is usually associated with abundant submersed aquatic vegetation and a river bottom composed of silt and sometimes sand. It uses the vegetation for protection, feeding, and spawning. It has been found in moderately turbid water, but prefers clear water.

Diet

The Bridle Shiner mainly feeds on zooplankton

Zooplankton

Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...

 and aquatic insect larvae such as chironomids. Plant materials make up a small portion of their diet.

Threats

Like all members of the Minnow family, they can be prey for larger fish species such as Northern Pike

Northern Pike

The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...

, Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

, and Yellow Perch

Yellow perch

The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...

.

This species is sensitive to poor water quality and high turbidity, particularly in agricultural areas. In areas where zebra mussels have invaded, the improved water clarity may benefit this species. The densely growing Eurasian Watermilfoil aquatic plant hinders spawning areas for the minnow and may contribute to its decline.

Similar Species

Sand Shiner (Notropis stramineus) and Mimic Shiner (Notropis volucellus) are similar, but lack a prominent lateral band. The Bridle Shiner is very similar to other black-lined shiners, including Pugnose Shiner (Notropis anogenus), Blackchin Shiner (Notropis heterodon) and Blacknose Shiner (Notropis heterolepis). Bridle Shiner can be distinguished from Pugnose and Blackchin Shiners by the lack of pigment on the lower jaw. Blacknose Shiners also lack this pigment, but have a more subterminal mouth as well as eight anal rays (Bridles typically have seven).

Sources

• Robert Jay Goldstein, Rodney W. Harper, Richard Edwards: American Aquarium Fishes. Texas A&M University Press 2000, ISBN 9780890968802, p. 89