Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)

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buddah101

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 8, 2005
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Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania
Hello all you fish fanatics! I need some assistance. You see I love to go trout fishin' and absolutely HATE seineing for minnows ("red-fins") to be exact. So I set up a cold water habitat complete with current and more than ample filtration, algae and even down to proper pH and hardness. I caught around 30 of em' and put them in they're new tank and everything seems to be peachy....However I would like to breed these so I dont have to go a catchin' em. Do you think that it could happen? does anyone know or have any success breeding "minnows"? Here is what I know about them for any help it may provide in helping me out. Thanks and check this out...


Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) "Red-fin" Best trout bait in my area!!
redfin.jpg


Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) ~ Species overview:
The blacknose dace is a common small minnow, distributed throughout the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds, and along the Atlantic Coast to North Carolina. There are two subspecies in Pennsylvania–Rhinichthys atratulus meleagris in western Pennsylvania and Rhinichthys atratulus atratulus in the eastern part of the state. Both look virtually alike. The blacknose dace’s genus name “Rhinichthys” means “snout-fish,” and the species name “atratulus” is derived from a word that means “clothed in black.” Local Pennsylvania nicknames for this species are “redfin” and “redfin dace.”

Identification: The blacknose dace is a small, slender minnow that grows to about three inches long. They have the typical minnow’s short, single dorsal fin and a forked tail. The back is light or dark-brown, or gray. The sides shade lighter, toward a silvery-white belly. Sprinkled along the sides are dark scales that give the fish a spotted appearance. The blacknose dace’s most obvious characteristic is its black side stripe. The stripe runs from the snout through the eye, and along the length of the side to the tail. At breeding time, the males also have a rusty-orange or red stripe immediately below the black side stripe. In spawning season, males also acquire pads on the upper surface of the pectoral fins, and the pectoral and pelvic fins become yellow-white or orange. The blacknose dace’s cousin, the longnose dace, grows up to five inches long and is reddish brown to dark-olive, with scattered dark spots and a light belly. But it does not display the blacknose’s prominent black “racing” stripe on its side.
 
Hello all you fish fanatics! I need some assistance. You see I love to go trout fishin' and absolutely HATE seineing for minnows ("red-fins") to be exact. So I set up a cold water habitat complete with current and more than ample filtration, algae and even down to proper pH and hardness. I caught around 30 of em' and put them in they're new tank and everything seems to be peachy....However I would like to breed these so I dont have to go a catchin' em. Do you think that it could happen? does anyone know or have any success breeding "minnows"? Here is what I know about them for any help it may provide in helping me out. Thanks and check this out...

I'm no expert on breeding but 30 sounds like a lot, depending on the size of your tank. They may not be comfortable with so many others competing for the same space/food. Here is some information I found about their natural breeding habits:

Reproduction: Breeding occurs in New York from late May to early June, and another source reports spawning from April to May *1471,1638*. In Virginia, they spawn from May through July in water from 15.6-22 degrees C. They spawn over sand and gravel in shallow water in a current from 20-45 cm per second *4205*. Incubation lasts 7 days at 18.5 degrees C *2252*. There are 375-2500 eggs per female per period *4205*. This species is mature at 2 or 3 years and the maximum longevity is age 3 *4205*. R. a. atratulus does not build a nest but it does defend a territory during the spawning period. Aggressiveness between males occurs when males cluster around one female before one male is chosen as a mate. There is no definite courtship behavior but the male may swim repeatedly below, in front of, or above the female prior to spawning. The male and female may spawn several times in one period before female returns to deeper waters. Both may rest on the bottom between spawning acts, and the female may spawn with several males. The eggs are broadcast carelessly. The male assumes a parallel position to the female, and throws his tail over female's and vibrates his body rapidly. After spawning, the male may prod through the streambed for eggs and eat some. Males are known to consort on riffles, and most spawning occurs in morning hours decreasing towards noon. - Virginia Fish and Wildlife Information Service

BTW, what type of trout are you fishing for?
 
Is it just me ore does that fish look cool. Oh wait, all native do.

They are cool, I have kept them in the past and currently have one female. She is very fun to watch and interact with, she bites my arm hairs when I clean the tank. I want to get her some buddys to school around with but can't find any to large for my madtoms to swallow.
 
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