12 Nebraskaland • December 2020
IN THE FIELD
By Melissa Panella
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED:
THE NORTHERN REDBELLY DACE
The northern redbelly dace (Chrosomus eos)
has a name that sounds fitting for the holidays.
This little minnow is among the most colorful
in the state and appears festive in its attire of
glitzy red belly and olive-colored back. Northern
redbelly dace frolic in small, cool-water streams
located mostly in Nebraska's Sandhills.
In Nebraska, northern redbelly dace have
been limited to the relatively small headwater
tributaries of the Niobrara, Loup and Platte
rivers. They use cool, clear streams with slow-
moving water, which are spring-fed from the
Sandhills and are shaded by logs and brush.
Most cool-water streams range in temperature
between approximately 62 and 72 degrees
Fahrenheit. Northern redbelly dace also are
found in the quiet waters of marshes or ponds
built by beavers. They eat algae, plant material,
zooplankton, invertebrates and occasionally
other small fish. Northern redbelly dace do
not seem to have the ability to move from one
river basin into another, so they are dependent
on high-quality conditions and availability of
natural resources where they currently live.
The northern redbelly dace is listed as a
threatened species in Nebraska, because there
are few places that satisfy this minnow's
specific habitat needs. Changes like channel
modification, culverts and water-control
structures can affect the spring-fed streams
this species relies upon and lead to population
declines. Populations of northern redbelly dace
are vulnerable to threats in several other states
as well.
The good news is that northern redbelly dace
can successfully be conserved in Nebraska.
Their populations can be sustained as long
as the creeks they inhabit are kept in good
condition and not overrun with predatory or
exotic fish. It is also important not to collect
this small minnow as a bait fish. With a bit
of care, northern redbelly dace can continue
to enliven Nebraska's cool-water streams with
their bright, jolly colors.
PHOTO
COURTESY
OF
SOUTH
DAKOTA
GAME,
FISH,
AND
PARKS
