The bluntnose minnow is widely distributed in small and medium-sized streams in North America. They occur from southern Quebec and Manitoba south to Louisiana, west to the Mississipi River drainage (but not the Mississippi River itself).(Froese and Pauly, 2002; State of Iowa DNR, 2001)

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Mississippi River, Hudson Bay (Red River), and Great Lakes basins, from southern Quebec to southern Manitoba (Houston 2001) and south to Louisiana; Atlantic Slope from St. Lawrence River, Quebec, to Roanoke River, Virginia (absent from most of New England); Gulf Slope from Mobile Bay drainage, Alabama, to Mississippi River; abundant, probably the most common freshwater fish in eastern North America (Page and Burr 1991). Often transplanted as fish bait.

This is a very small silver fish, long and slender with a dark stripe from snout to tail. At the base of the tail the stripe becomes a dot. Upperparts are slightly olive while sides are bluish. The name "bluntnose" refers to the rather flat snout. During the breeding season, males become darker, with a silver bar behind the gill cover (opercle), and grow 16 bumps in three rows on their head. (Page and Burr 1991; State of Iowa DNR, 2001)

Range length: 11.0 (high) cm.

Other Physical Features: bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male more colorful

Length: 11 cm

Bluntnose minnows prefer clear, rocky streams and creeks that are small to medium in size. They also occur in natural and man-made lakes.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Habitat Type: Freshwater

Comments: Lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks in a variety of habitats. Most common in clear rocky streams. Schools in midwater or near bottom. Spawns in nest made by male under object on bottom on sandy or gravelly shoals, eggs attached to underside of cover.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Bluntnose minnows eat algae, aquatic insect larvae, diatoms, and small crustaceans called entomostracans. Occasionally they will eat fish eggs or small fish. (State of Iowa DNR, 2001)

Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats eggs, Eats non-insect arthropods); omnivore

Comments: Primarily a bottom feeder, eats mostly algae in winter, mainly insects and plant material in summer (Becker 1983).

Bluntnose minnows serve an important role as prey for larger animals and as a predator on insect larvae.

This small fish is prey to many larger fish as well as many birds and reptiles. To avoid them, minnows move fast, travel in schools, and hide.

A close relative, the fathead minnow (Pimephales notatus) gives off a chemical called "alarm substance" when under attack. Scientists think the substance may be a distress signal that attracts other predatory fish who interrupt the first predator, allowing the minnow to escape (Chivers et al., 1996)

The list below is only a sample of the species that eat minnows.

Known Predators:

• black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax)
• great blue herons (Ardea herodias)
• belted kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon)
• ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis)
• common grackles (Quiscalus quiscula)
• northern pike (Esox lucius)
• largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
• snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina)
• painted turtles (Chrysemys picta)
• northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon)

During breeding season the males use at least two methods of communication. First, their physical appearance changes (as described in the reproductive section). Second, males make a variety of pulsed sounds when acting aggresively with other males. It is not known if these sounds are also used in courtship or spawning.

Bluntnose minnows probably release chemicals called pheromones when they are alarmed.

The maximimum recorded age for a bluntnose minnow is five years. It is unclear whether this was a captive or wild individual. (Froese and Pauly, 2002)

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 5.0 (high) years.

Typical lifespan

Status: wild: 2.0 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 5 years.

During the spawning season, males' heads grow darker and their bodies become bluish. They also develop three rows of bumps, or tubercles on their heads. Females release masses of eggs which stick to the underside of rocks or floating logs. They are therefore sheltered while spawning. Depending on the temperature of the waters, eggs may hatch into fry in 8 to 14 days. (State of Iowa DNR, 2002; USGS, 1982)

Breeding season: April through September, but usually May through July

Range time to hatching: 14.0 (high) days.

Key Reproductive Features: fertilization (External ); oviparous

Males stay and guard the eggs and the fry. (USGS, 1982)

Parental Investment: male parental care

Spawns May-August in north, May-June in Illinois. Eggs of several females may be laid in single nest. Eggs guarded by male, hatch in 6-10 days. Females sexually mature at age I, males at age II.

This is a very common fish. In fact, bluntnose minnows are probably the most abundant freshwater fish in the eastern United States. (Page and Burr, 1991)

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

This fish is commonly used for bait in the fishing industry.

Comments: Formerly included in the monotypic genus Hyborhynchus (Lee et al. 1980). NOR chromosomal data support monophyly of the four extant species of Pimephales and suggest that the genus Pimephales belongs in a monophyletic assemblage with, among others, the cyprinid genera Cyprinella and Opsopoeodus (Li and Gold 1991); Coburn and Cavender (in press) also indicated that these three genera are phylogenetically closely related.