Fishes of the Dakotas
Species Checklist
State Game and Fish Department
100 North Bismarck Expressway
Bismarck, North Dakota 58501-5095
Background
Fish species checklists and status classifications have been periodically conducted in both North and South Dakota; however, this list is the first document that combines checklists and status classifications for both states.
The Dakota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society commissioned the development and production of this brochure. Fisheries experts from universities, and State and Federal government provided their input and insight. Descriptions of species classifications have no legal authority in either North or South Dakota. Instead these classifications are meant to provide useful information on the respective status of all fish species in the Dakotas.
According to Dakota Chapter resource professionals, there are 11 and 17 fish species in North and South Dakota respectively that are considered to be either extirpated, endangered, threatened or species of concern (SC1). In addition, 15 species in North Dakota and 18 species in South Dakota have been introduced, either intentionally or unintentionally, and are currently present. Approximately two-thirds of all native fish species in both states require no classification; thus indicating no immediate concern.
The Dakota Chapter intends to update this brochure every five to ten years as new information becomes available. This effort will assist in tracking the status of native fish species over time.
Photo by William R. Roston.
This resource is based on the following source:
North Dakota Game and Fish Department. 1994. Fishes of the Dakotas. North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck, ND.
This resource should be cited as:North Dakota Game and Fish Department. 1994. Fishes of the Dakotas. North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Bismarck, ND. Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/fish/dakfish/index.htm (Version 16JUL97).
Classification Descriptions
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- Species is not found in the state.
- Native species whose status is of no special concern.
- Native species that no longer reside or reproduce in the state.
- Naturally occurring or bred intentionally for stocking purposes.
- Native species whose survival is jeopardized because - 1) their numbers are declining from human activities, and 2) they are dependent on unique and limited habitat that is (or recently has) declining (declined).
- Native species who are likely to become endangered in the near future because - 1) they exist in small numbers or in a scarce, sensitive or exploitable habitat and their abundance or habitat is declining or jeopardized, and 2) current management practices may not prevent their decline and there is need for additional study to assure their survival, and 3) environmental deterioration has caused their decline in the past and this decline may be continuing.
- Native species whose status is questioned due to either 1) suspected problems with abundance or distribution (SC1), or 2) limited and/or inconclusive historical citations (SC2). Many of these species occupy habitats that were once fairly common.
- Native species with small or unknown populations whose breeding distribution or reproduction ability within the state is often severely limited by lack of suitable habitat and/or climate. These species have not had an appreciably more widespread distribution in the recent past.
- Non-native species who have intentionally or unintentionally been transplanted into state waters. (Ie) indicates species that were introduced but are no longer present due to the cessation of a stocking program.
* portions modified from the North Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Species Inventory North Dakota South Dakota Number of Species Documented 103 111 Number of Species Present 96 109 Number of Hybrids Documented 3 5 Number of Hybrids Present 3 4 Number of Native Species Documented 83 90 Number of Native Species Present 81 90 Number of Introduced Species Documented 20 20 Number of Introduced Species Present 15 18
Species Status North Dakota South Dakota Extirpated 2 0 Endangered 2 4 Threatened 2 7 Special Concern 1 5 6 Specieal Concern 2 3 12 Peripheral/Special Concern 1 7 3 Peripheral/Special Concern 2 3 5 Peripheral 7 5 Native With No Classification 52 48
North South PETROMYZONTIDAE Dakota Dakota Ichthyomyzon castaneus Girard--chestnut lamprey P/SC1 Ichthyomyron unicuspis Hubbs and Trautman--silver lamprey P/SC2 P/SC1
ACIPENSERIDAE Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque--lake sturgeon Ex SC2 Scaphirhynchus albus (Forbes and Richardson)--pallid sturgeon E E Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque)--shovelnose sturgeon -- --
POLYODONTIDAE Polyodon spathula (Walbaum)--paddlefisb SC1 SC1
LEPISOSTEIDAE Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus)--longnose gar SC1 SC1 Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque--shortnose gar P --
AMIIDAE Amia calva Linnaeus--bowfin SC2
HIODONTIDAE Hiodon alosoides (Rafinesque)--goldeye -- -- Hiodon tergisus Lesueur--mooneye -- P/SC2
ANGUILLIDAE Anguilla rostrata (Lesueur)--American eel P
CLUPEIDAE Alosa chrysochloris (Rafinesque)--skipjack herring P Dorosoma cepedianum (Lesueur)--gizzard shad P --
CYPRINIDAE Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque)--central stoneroller P/SC1 SC2 Compostoma oligolepis Hubbs & Green--largescale stoneroller P Carassius auratus (Linnaeus)--goldfish I Couesius plumbeus (Agassiz)--lake chub -- P/SC1 Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes)--grass carp I I Cyprinella lutrensis (Baird & Girard)--red shiner -- -- Cyprinella spiloptera (Cope)--spotfin shiner -- Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus--common carp I I Hybognathus argyritis Girard--western silvery minnow -- Hybognathus hankinsoni Hubbs--brassy minnow -- -- Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz--Mississippi silvery minnow -- -- Hybognathus placitus Girard--plains minnow -- -- Luxilus cornutus (Mitchill)--common shiner -- -- Macrhybopsis gelida (Girard)--sturgeon chub T T Macrhybopsis meeki (Jordan & Everman)--sicklefin chub E T Macrhybopsis storeriana (Kirtland)--silver chub SC2 P Margariscus margarita Cope--pearl dace SC1 E Nocomis biguttatus (Kirtland)--hornyhead chub P/SC1 SC1 Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill)--golden shiner -- -- Notropis anogenus Forbes--pugnose shiner T Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque--emerald shiner -- -- Notropis blennius (Girard)--river shiner -- SC2 Notropis doralis (Agassiz)--bigmouth shiner -- -- Notropis heterodon (Cope)--blackchin shiner SC2 Notropis heterolepis Eigenmann & Eigenmann--blacknose shiner P/SC1 SC2 Notropis hudsonius (Clinton)--spottail shiner -- -- Notropis rubellus (Agassiz)--rosyface shiner P/SC1 P/SC1 Notropis shumardi (Girard)--silverband shiner SC2 Notropis stramineus (Cope)--sand shiner -- -- Notropis topeka (Gilbert)--Topeka shiner SC1 Phenacobius mirabilis (Girard)--suckermouth minnow SC2 Phoxinus eos (Cope)--northern redbelly dace SC1 T Phoxinus neogaeus Cope--finescale dace P/SC1 T Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque)--bluntnose minnow -- -- Pimephales promelas Rafinesque--fathead minnow -- -- Platygobio gracilis (Richardson)--flathead chub SC1 -- Rhinichthys atratulus (Hermann) -blacknose dace -- -- Rhinichthys cataractae (Valenciennes)--longnose dace -- -- Scardinius erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus)--rudd I Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill)--creek chub -- --
CATOSTOMIDAE Carpiodes carpio (Rafinesque)--river carpsucker -- -- Carpiodes cyprinus (Lesueur)--quillback -- SC2 Catostomus catostomus (Forster)--longnose sucker -- T Catostomus commersoni (Lacepede)--white sucker -- -- Catostomus platyrhynchus (Cope)--mountain sucker P Cycleptus elongatus (Lesueur)--blue sucker SC1 SC1 Erimyzon sucetta (Lacepede)--lake chubsucker Ex Hypentelium nigricans (Lesueur)--northern hog sucker SC2 Ictiobus bubalus (Rafinesque)--smallmouth buffalo -- -- Ictiobus cyprinellus (Valenciennes)--bigmouth buffalo -- -- Ictiobus niger (Rafinesque)--black buffalo SC2 Moxostoma anisurum (Rafinesque)--silver redhorse P Moxostoma erythrurum (Rafinesque)--golden redhorse -- P/SC2 Morostoma macrolepidotum (Lesueur)--shorthead redhorse -- -- Moxostoma valenciennesi Jordan--greater redhorse P
ICTALURIDAE Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque)--black bullhead -- -- Ameiurus natalis (Lesueur)--yellow bullhead P/SC2 P Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur)--brown bullhead -- -- Ictalurus furcatus (Lesueur)--blue catfish SC1 Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque)--channel catfish -- -- Noturus exilis Nelson--slender madtom -- Noturus flavus Rafinesque--stonecat -- -- Noturus gyrinus (Mitchill)--tadpole madtom -- -- Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque)--flathead catfish P/SC1 SC1
ESOCIDAE Esox lucius Linnaeus--northern pike -- -- Esox masquinongy Mitchill--muskellunge I I E. lucius E. masquinongy--tiger muskie H/I H/I
UMBRIDAE Umbra limi (Kirtland)--central mudminnow P E
OSMERIDAE Osmerus mordax (Mitchill)--rainbow smelt I I
SALMONIDAE Coregonus artedi LeSueur--lake herring (cisco) I I Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill)--lake whitefish I I Oncorhynchus clarki (Richardson)--cutthroat trout Ie I Oncorhynchus kisutch (Walbaum)--coho salmon Ie Ie Oncorhynchus mykiss (Richardson)--rainbow trout I I Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum)--kokanee salmon Ie I Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum)--chinook salmon I I Prosopium gemmifer (Snyder)--Bonneville cisco Ie Salmo trutta Linnaeus--brown trout I I Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill)--brook trout Ie I Salvelinus namaycush (Walbaum)--lake trout I I S.fontinalis × S. namaycush--splake trout H/I
PERCOPSIDAE Percopsis omiscomaycus (Walbaum)--trout-perch SC2 T
GADIDAE Lota lota (Linnaeus)--burbot -- --
CYPRINODONTIDAE Fundulus diaphanus (LeSueur)--banded killifish P E Fundulus sciadicus Cope--plains topminnow T Fundulus zebrinus Jordan & Gilbert--plains killifish --
GASTEROSTEIDAE Culaea inconstans (Kirtland)--brook stickleback -- --
PERCICHTHYIDAE Morone chrysops (Rafinesque)--white bass I I Morone saxatilis (Walbaum)--striped bass I M. chrysops × M. saxatilis--wiper H/Ie
CENTRARCHIDAE Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque)--rock bass -- -- Archoplites interruptus (Girard)--sacramento perch Ie -- Lepomis cyanellus Rafinesque--green sunfish -- -- Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus)--pumpkinseed -- -- Lepomis humilis (Girard)--orangespotted sunfish -- -- L. humilis × L. gibbosus--orangespotted/pumpkinseed hybrid H Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque--bluegill -- -- L. macrochirus × L. cyanellus--bluegill/green sunfish hybrid H Micropterus dolomieu Lacepede--smallmouth bass I I Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede)--largemouth bass I -- Pomoxis annularis Rafinesque--white crappie -- -- Pomoxis nigromaculatus (LeSueur)--black crappie -- --
PERCIDAE Etheostoma exile (Girard)--Iowa darter -- -- Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque--johnny darter -- -- Perca flavescens (Mitchill)--yellow perch -- -- Percina caprodes (Rafinesque)--logperch P/SC2 P/SC2 Percina maculata (Girard)--blackside darter -- P/SC2 Percina phoxocephala (Nelson)--slenderhead darter SC2 Percina shumardi (Girard)--river darter SC2 Stizostedion canadense (Smith)--sauger -- -- Stizostedion lucioperca (Linnaeus)--zander I Stizostedion vitreum (Mitchill)--walleye -- -- S. canadense × S. vitreum--saugeye H H
SCIAENIDAE Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque--freshwater drum -- --
CICHLIDAE Cichlasoma synspilum (Hubb)--redhead I
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