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Emerald Shiner - Notropis atherinoides
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Currently ranked a S5 because it is common, widespread, and abundant (although it may be rare in parts of its range). Not vulnerable in most of its range.
General Description
The emerald shiner belongs to a genus that contains about 100 species of minnows commonly called shiners. Emerald shiners are schooling fish native to the Missouri-Yellowstone River basin. They seem to prefer the larger prairie rivers and the open central waters of impoundments. Fish with this type of habitat preference are called pelagic. In some areas of the U.S., this fish has been widely introduced for forage; that is, as food for the larger predatory game fish. Although they are of lesser importance as prey in Montana, emerald shiners do have some value as a commercial bait fish in eastern Montana. They grow to about 4 inches in length.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Overall silvery with iridescent light green back. Usually has an emerald green or silvery midside stripe, particularly toward the rear. Young are somewhat translucent. Eye large. Body slender and flat sided, fragile looking. Scales easily rubbed off.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Western Hemisphere Range
Range Comments
St. Lawrence drainage, Quebec; Hudson River drainage, New York to Mackenzie River drainage (Arctic basin), Northwest Territories, and south through Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to Gulf; Gulf Slope drainages from Mobile Bay, Alabama, to Galveston Bay, Texas (Page and Burr 1991).
Montana Range: Native in the Yellowstone and Missouri River drainages, introduced elsewhere, especially the Bighorn River.
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 909
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Migration
Makes spawning run to lower Marias River.
Habitat
Preferred habitat is larger stream channels and their impoundments. They are pelagic and avoids areas with aquatic vegetation. Prefers main channel border as specific habitat type. In the Wild and Scenic Section of the Missouri River upstream of Fort Peck, seining on the slow-water edge of a deep run captured the most emerald shiners (D. Stagliano, pers observation).
Food Habits
Food consists largely of zooplankton and small aquatic insects eaten in the water column; but some algae and terrestrial insects have been found in emerald shiner stomachs.
Ecology
Important food item of sport fishes, particularly burbot, rainbow trout, walleye, sauger and northern pike.
Reproductive Characteristics
Sexually mature at 2 yrs. Spawns in July - August. Spawning has been shown to peak mid to late July in middle Missouri River study.
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Musuem of Natural History. 867 p.
- Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Rainbow trout, Kamloops trout, Steelhead trout Salmo gairdneri Richardson. pp. 184-191. In: Freshwater fishes of Canada. Ottawa, Canada: Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 p.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
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Clancey, C.G. 1978. The fish and aquatic invertebrates in Sarpy Creek, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 54 p.- Dieterman, D.J., M.P. Ruggles, M.L. Wildhaber, and D.L. Galat (eds). 1996. Population structure and habitat use of benthic fishes along the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers. 1996 Annual report of Missouri River Benthic Fish Study PD-95-5832 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 238 p.
- Duncan, M.B. 2019. Distributions, abundances, and movements of small, nongame fishes in a large Great Plains river network. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 255 p.
- Hendricks, P., S. Lenard, D.M. Stagliano, and B.A. Maxell. 2013. Baseline nongame wildlife surveys on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Report to the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. 83 p.
- Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
- Mullen, J.A. 2007. Spatiotemporal variation of fish assemblages in Montana prairie streams. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 102 p.
- Mullins, M.S. 1991. Biology and predator use of cisco (Coregonus artedi) in Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 68 p.
- Rosenthal, L.R. 2007. Evaluation of distribution and fish passage in relation to road culverts in two eastern Montana prairie streams. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 78 p.
- Stash, S.W. 2001. Distribution, relative abundance, and habitat associations of Milk River fishes related to irrigation diversion dams. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 82 p.
- Stringer, A.L. 2018. Status of Northern Pearl Dace and chrosomid dace in prairie streams of Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 150 p.
- Trenka, R.J. 2000. Community structure and habitat associations of fishes of the lower Tongue and Powder Rivers. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 85 p.
- Wuellner, M.R. 2007. Influence of reach and watershed characteristics on fish distributions in small streams of eastern Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 80 p.
- Young, B.A., T.L. Welker, M.L. Wildhaber, C.R. Berry, and D. Scarnecchia (eds). 1997. Population structure and habitat use of benthic fishes along the Missouri and Lower Yellowstone Rivers. 1997 Annual report of Missouri River Benthic Fish Study PD-95-5832 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 207 p.
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