What's New In the World of Freshwater Fishes of Virginia? by Don Orth
The Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Virginia will be released by September 24th. I promise that even those familiar with our local fish fauna will learn something new. I’ve received many questions about the forthcoming Field Guide and answer a few of them here. How many freshwater fish species are there in Virginia? There are more species (226) and more families (28) of freshwater fishes than appeared in Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) treatise. How’d that happen? It’s a combination of discoveries of cryptic diversity, introductions, and elevation of subspecies to species status. Families Species in Virginia Lampreys - Petromyzontidae 5 Sturgeons - Acipenseridae 2 Paddlefish – Polyodontidae 1 Gars – Lepisosteidae 1 Bowfins – Amiidae 1 Eels – Anguillidae 1 Herrings – Clupeidae 6 Carps and allies - Cyprinidae 1 Carps - Xenocyprididae – Carps 1 Minnows – Leuciscidae 71 Suckers – Catostomidae 19 Catfishes – Ictaluridae 15 Trouts – Salmonidae 3 Pikes – Esocidae1 4 Mudminnows – Umbridae1 1 Pirate Perch – Aphredoderidae 1 Cavefishes – Amblyopsidae 1 Silversides – Atherinopsidae 1 Killifishes – Fundulidae 5 Livebearers – Poeciliidae 1 Sticklebacks – Gasterosteidae 1 Sculpins – Cottidae 10 Temperate Basses – Moronidae 3 Sunfishes – Centrarchidae 20 Perches – Percidae 48 Drums – Sciaenidae 1 Snakeheads – Channidae 1 1Note: some call for merger of Esocidae and Umbridae Outline sketch of members of the Leuciscidae, formerly Leuciscinae, Cyprinidae What the most species rich group? The order Cypriniformes is the most diverse order of freshwater fishes in the world, numbering over 4,602 currently recognized species (Fricke et al. 2019). This is more than 200 new Cypriniformes species since we first began working on the Field Guide. What major taxonomic revision has occurred recently? The former subfamily Leuciscinae was elevated to family level (Tan and Armbruster 2018). Leuciscidae has 680 species and this now includes what we used to consider the native North American Cyprinidae as well as some European and Asian minnows. In Virginia, we find 71 species in the newly defined Leuciscidae, making this the most species-rich family in freshwaters of Virginia. Xenocyprididae encompases the introduced fish we know as Ctenopharyngodon idella – Grass Carp. Cyprinidae includes 1,722 valid species, such as the Common Carp, as well as other carps, barbs and barbels, and tor. What about the darters? There are 238 valid species of Percidae in the world and most of these are darters. Virginia has 48 species of Percidae, 45 are darters in Ammocrypta, Percina, and Etheostoma. How come Virginia has such high number of freshwater fishes? Virginia has a humid, temperate climate with about 43 inches of rainfall annually. In this relatively wet environment, differences in geology and topography provide diverse aquatic habitats and thermal regimes enabling a wide diversity of fish species to evolve and thrive. Historical factors, such as the lack of Pleistocene glaciers, interconnections between river systems, and species dispersal patterns, all contribute to Virginia’s rich fish fauna. Virginia has five landforms, each with distinct geologic histories and freshwater habitats. These are depicted on the map below -- Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. Virginia’s highest peak is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet above sea level. Map of Virginia color coded by elevation (blue is low, red is high) and physiographic provinces. Map produced by coauthor Corbin Hilling. If you don't know physiographic provinces, get the Field Guide. Which drainage has the most nonnative fishes? The New drainage has only 40 native fishes and an additional 46 species are introduced. What species are extirpated from Virginia? Cyprinella labrosa – Thicklip Chub Moxostoma lacerum – Harelip Sucker Percopsis omiscomaycus – Trout-perch Percopsidae Percina bimaculata – Chesapeake Logperch What is the rarest fish species of Virginia? Erimystax cahni – Slender Chub What is species is the newest introduction to Virginia? Channa argus – Northern Snakehead What family has the most cryptic diversity? Cottidae What species still need of formal species descriptions? Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori – Clinch Dace Notropis sp. cf. spectrunculus – Sawfin Shiner Moxostoma sp. cf. lach
The Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Virginia will be released by September 24th. I promise that even those familiar with our
local fish fauna will learn something new.
I’ve received many questions about the forthcoming Field Guide and
answer a few of them here.
How many
freshwater fish species are there in Virginia?
There are more species (226) and more families (28) of freshwater fishes
than appeared in Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) treatise. How’d that happen? It’s a combination of discoveries of cryptic
diversity, introductions, and elevation of subspecies to species status.
Families Species
in Virginia
Lampreys
- Petromyzontidae 5
Sturgeons
- Acipenseridae 2
Paddlefish
– Polyodontidae 1
Gars
– Lepisosteidae 1
Bowfins
– Amiidae 1
Eels
– Anguillidae 1
Herrings
– Clupeidae 6
Carps
and allies - Cyprinidae 1
Carps
- Xenocyprididae – Carps 1
Minnows
– Leuciscidae 71
Suckers
– Catostomidae 19
Catfishes
– Ictaluridae 15
Trouts
– Salmonidae 3
Pikes
– Esocidae1 4
Mudminnows
– Umbridae1 1
Pirate
Perch – Aphredoderidae 1
Cavefishes
– Amblyopsidae 1
Silversides
– Atherinopsidae 1
Killifishes
– Fundulidae 5
Livebearers
– Poeciliidae 1
Sticklebacks
– Gasterosteidae 1
Sculpins
– Cottidae 10
Temperate
Basses – Moronidae 3
Sunfishes
– Centrarchidae 20
Perches
– Percidae 48
Drums
– Sciaenidae 1
Snakeheads
– Channidae 1
1Note: some call for merger of
Esocidae and Umbridae
| Outline sketch of members of the Leuciscidae, formerly Leuciscinae, Cyprinidae |
What the most
species rich group? The order
Cypriniformes is the most diverse order of freshwater fishes in the world,
numbering over 4,602 currently recognized species (Fricke et al. 2019). This is more than 200 new Cypriniformes
species since we first began working on the Field Guide.
What major
taxonomic revision has occurred recently? The former subfamily Leuciscinae was
elevated to family level (Tan and Armbruster 2018). Leuciscidae has 680 species and this now includes what we used to consider the native North American Cyprinidae as well as some European and Asian minnows. In Virginia, we find 71 species in the newly
defined Leuciscidae, making this the most species-rich family in freshwaters of
Virginia. Xenocyprididae encompases the introduced fish we know as Ctenopharyngodon
idella – Grass Carp. Cyprinidae includes 1,722 valid species, such as the
Common Carp, as well as other carps, barbs and barbels, and tor.
What about
the darters? There are 238 valid species of Percidae in the
world and most of these are darters. Virginia has 48 species of
Percidae, 45 are darters in Ammocrypta, Percina, and Etheostoma.
How come
Virginia has such high number of freshwater fishes?
Virginia
has a humid, temperate climate with about 43 inches of rainfall annually. In
this relatively wet environment, differences in geology and topography provide
diverse aquatic habitats and thermal regimes enabling a wide diversity of fish
species to evolve and thrive. Historical factors, such as the lack of Pleistocene
glaciers, interconnections between river systems, and species dispersal
patterns, all contribute to Virginia’s rich fish fauna. Virginia has five landforms, each with
distinct geologic histories and freshwater habitats. These are depicted on the map below -- Appalachian
Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. Virginia’s
highest peak is Mount Rogers at 5,729 feet above sea level.
| Map of Virginia color coded by elevation (blue is low, red is high) and physiographic provinces. Map produced by coauthor Corbin Hilling. If you don't know physiographic provinces, get the Field Guide. |
Which
drainage has the most nonnative fishes?
The New drainage has only 40 native fishes and an additional 46 species are
introduced.
What
species are extirpated from Virginia?
Cyprinella
labrosa – Thicklip Chub
Moxostoma
lacerum – Harelip Sucker
Percopsis
omiscomaycus –
Trout-perch Percopsidae
Percina
bimaculata –
Chesapeake Logperch
What is
the rarest fish species of Virginia?
Erimystax
cahni – Slender
Chub
What is
species is the newest introduction to Virginia?
Channa
argus – Northern
Snakehead
What
family has the most cryptic diversity?
Cottidae
What species
still need of formal species descriptions?
Chrosomus sp. cf. saylori – Clinch Dace
Notropis sp. cf. spectrunculus –
Sawfin Shiner
Moxostoma sp. cf. lachneri – Brassy
Jumprock
Cottus n. sp. Bluestone Sculpin
Cottus n. sp. Clinch Sculpin
Cottus n. sp. Holston Sculpin
Probably
other Cottus
What colloquial fish name is unique to Virginia? Shenandoah Tarpon is used by anglers who have caught the Fallfish Semotilus corporalis via flyfishing.
Acipenser oxyrinchus Atlantic
Sturgeon
Acipenser brevirostrum Shortnose
Sturgeon
Etheostoma osburni Candy
Darter
Etheostoma percnurum Duskytail
Darter
Percina rex Roanoke Logperch
What species are Threatened?
Chrosomus
cumberlandensis Blackside
Dace
Erimystax
cahni Slender Chub
Erimonax
monachus syn: Cyprinella
monacha Spotfin Chub
Noturus
flavipinnis Yellowfin
Madtom
What’s the
most colorful fish in Virginia? That’s a
toss up between the
Chrosomus oreas Mountain Redbelly Dace
and
Etheostoma osburni Candy Darter
You’ll
have judge for yourself. Each of these colorful species was illustrated by Val Kells.
 |
| Michael J. Pinder, coauthor, and Yellowfin Madtom Recovery t-shirt at the release in the North Fork Holston River. Photos by David Crigger, Bristol Herald Courier |
What rare
fish has high promise for recovery? The
Yellowfin Madtom has been cultured in captivity and can be introduced into streams
of its historic range.
What is the most cultured species in Virginia? More than 1.5 million trout are produced in Virginia's 5 trout hatcheries each year. Most of these are Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.
Most
underappreciated cool fish in Virginia?
Swampfish Chologaster cornuta
What
species has the smallest range?
Etheostoma
percnurum –
Duskytail Darter occurs only in Copper Creek.
 |
| Duskytail Darter Etheostoma percnurum. Illustration by J. Sipiorski (Blanton et al. 2008) |
What’s the
best fish story? That would have to be the sturgeons (Acipenseridae). These ancient bony fishes lived during the
Cretaceous period during the age of dinosaurs (145.5 and 65.5 million years
ago). Sturgeons are one of the largest and longest-lived anadromous fish in
North America and two species occur in Virginia waters. The Atlantic Sturgeon may reach a maximum size of
14 feet and 811 pounds based on a Canadian specimen. The population has been depleted coast wide for
a long time. During the late 1800s,
fishing for sturgeon eggs (to sell as caviar) attracted so many people, the
trend was referred to as the “Black Gold Rush.” Atlantic Sturgeon were thought
to be gone from Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, but recent good news indicates they are still there. Also,
Atlantic Sturgeon are reproducing in the James River.
 |
| Albert Spells, Virginia Fisheries coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service, didn’t believe Atlantic sturgeon were gone from the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Photo by USFWS |
How many
field guides do you plan to sell? Based on
US Census figures, there are 8.57 million people in Virginia, 78% are over 18,
and 8% fish. If all anglers in Virginia
buy a Field Guide, we will sell 534,768 copies. ???? Pre-order now and receive a 20% discount from the publisher.
References
Blanton,
R.E., and R.E. Jenkins. 2008. Three new darter species of the Etheostoma
percnurum species complex (Percidae, subgenus Catonotus) from the
Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages.
Zootaxa 1963:1-24.
Fricke,
R., W.N. Eschmeyer, and R. van der Laan, editors. 2019.
CATALOG OF FISHES: GENERA, SPECIES, REFERENCES. Accessed August 2, 2019 (http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp).
Jenkins,
R.E., and N.M. Burkhead. 1994.
Freshwater Fishes of Virginia.
American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. 1080 pp.
Tan,
M., and J.W. Armbruster. 2018. Phylogenetic classification of extant genera of
fishes of the order Cypriniformes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi). Zootaxa 4476(1):6-39.
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