Iowa DNR
BioNet
River & Stream Biological Monitoring
Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
Physical Habitat Assessments

Mimic Shiner Paranotropis volucellus

Family
Leuciscidae (Minnows)
Tolerance
Intermediate
Trophic Class
Insectivore
Is Exotic to Iowa?
False
Is Lithophilous Spawner?
False
Is Hybrid?
False
State Listing Status
Not Listed
Assessment Program Statistics

This species was found at 9 bioassessment sites, 0 rapid fish bioassessment sites, 2 fisheries assessment sites, and 0 fisheries presence-only assessment sites. In total, it was collected at 11 distinct sites, or 0.7% of the 1513 total sites monitored by the bioassessment program. It is the 100th most commonly collected species.

The Mimic Shiner was collected in 9 bioassessment sampling sessions and 2 fisheries assessment sessions. It was present in 0 rapid bioassessment sessions and 0 presence-only sessions.

The biological assessment program has collected a total of 76 individual Mimic Shiner specimens, ranking it the #99 most collected fish.

Species Characteristics

The body is slender and slightly compressed laterally. The back is straw-colored while the sides are silvery, the belly is whitish, and the scales on the back have a light pigment edging giving the fish a cross-hatched look. The lateral band varies from distinct to faint among fish from different populations. The small, sub-terminal mouth is slightly oblique and no barbel is present. Hooked pharyngeal teeth on slender arches are found in an array of 4-4. Mimic Shiners have dark pigment around the vent and base of the anal fin, which is absent or faint in the Bigmouth and Sand Shiners. This shiner has a poorly developed or absent mid-dorsal stripe. Infraorbital canals are complete in the Mimic Shiner, but interrupted in the Ghost Shiner. Dorsal and anal fins have 8 rays and are rounded in shape, as opposed to falcate-like in the Ghost Shiner. Pectoral fins have 12 to 15 rays, and the pelvic fin has 9 rays. A complete, elevated lateral line has 33 to 38 scales with a spot above and below each pore. Mimic Shiners have 35 to 38 lateral line scales, which are almost 3 times as high as wide. This fish is similar to the Channel Shiner, and they were previously thought to be two sub-species of the same species.

Species Distribution Maps

HUC12 watersheds where this species has been found