Image source: Sam Turner | inaturalist.org
The rosyface shiner (Notropis rubellus) is a small fresh water fish of the minnow and carp family (Cyprinidae). It is native to eastern North America. The species can grow up to 9 cm (3.5 in). They have a fusiform body shape with silvery sides with blue and green lateral iridescent stripes and transparent fins. Their pectoral and pelvic fins are in the abdominal region. They have a pointed snout with a terminal mouth position. The caudal fin is angled inwards to make a forked shape. Breeding males have red colorations on their face, head, and behind the gills. Breeding females will also have minimal red colorations. The native range is in the eastern United States and southern Canada. They are found from eastern Wisconsin and in the drainages of the Great Lakes to New York, down south in the upper Ohio River, along the Appalachian Mountains and Cumberland Plateau to Tennessee, and down the James river, and Rapidan River which drain into the Atlantic Ocean. They are freshwater fish living in large to moderate-sized streams with clear waters and fast flowing currents. Bottoms of streams have clean gravel or rubble usually in or around riffles. They are not conducive to streams with consistently murky waters. They are nonmigratory spending winters (mid- November)in deeper pools and eddies and then returning to the riffles in mid-March.
