Mimic Shiner Notropis volucellus
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 0.8% of the 1442 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 #98 most collected fish.
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.
HUC12 watersheds where this species has been found