Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S5

ITIS Code: 163363          

National Rank:  N5

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The brassy minnow is widely distributed throughout Iowa, but is usually more common in the northern parts of the state (Harlan et al. 1987).  It is less prevalent in the southwestern part of the Central Plains Aquatic Subregion and is extremely rare in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

Habitat Affinities:

In Iowa, the brassy minnow prefers pools in medium-sized streams and small rivers as well as overflow ponds in the floodplain.  It is often found in waters containing a population of fathead minnow (Harlan et al. 1987).  The largest populations of brassy minnow can be found in small weedy pools or small, moderately clear streams with slow to moderate current and sandy or gravel bottoms covered with organic sediment (Becker 1983; Cross and Collins 1995; Pflieger 1997).  The brassy minnow feeds on benthic algae by ingesting the organic-rich ooze that forms over the stream bottom (Eddy and Underhill 1974; Pflieger 1997; Starrett 1950), and spawns in quiet water in spring or early summer (Eddy and Underhill 1974; Starret 1951).  Despite an abundance of apparently suitable habitat, the brassy minnow is rare in Illinois (Smith 1979).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=625]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records.

((("SOIL_TEXT" > 3 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 4) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND

"SDISCR_5C" > 2 ) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 6) AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 6) AND "GRADSEGR" > 2 AND

"SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND "MINELEVR" > 2) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 6) AND "GRADSEGR" > 2 AND

"SUBREGION_" > 1) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 6 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 8) AND ("MINELEVR" > 1 AND

"MINELEVR" <= 5)))

Mississippi River Model:

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

(("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S09') OR "pool" = 'S11')

Missouri River Model

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

 ("pool" >= 'O17' AND "pool" <= 'O19')

Overall Prediction:

((("SOIL_TEXT" > 3 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 4) AND "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND

"SDISCR_5C" > 2 ) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 6) AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 6) AND "GRADSEGR" > 2 AND

"SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND "MINELEVR" > 2) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 4 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 6) AND "GRADSEGR" > 2 AND

"SUBREGION_" > 1) OR

(("SOIL_TEXT" > 6 AND "SOIL_TEXT" <= 8) AND ("MINELEVR" > 1 AND

"MINELEVR" <= 5))) OR

 (("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S09') OR "pool" = 'S11') OR

 ("pool" >= 'O17' AND "pool" <= 'O19')

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Olson, C.L.  1975.  Effects of chlorinated sewage effluent on fish in the Iowa River,

Marshalltown, Iowa.  Master’s thesis. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Olson, J.R. 1998.  Historic fish survey database.  Water Quality Bureau, Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paloumpis, A.A.  1958.  Responses of some minnows to flood and drought conditions in

an intermittent stream.  Iowa State College Journal of Science 32(4):547-561.

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No. 3.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Phillips, G.S.  1989.  1989 foray: fisheries survey. Environmental Studies Laboratory,

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Master's thesis.  University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Orleans, Iowa.

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August 1984.  No. 85-1.  Iowa Department of Water, Air and Waste Management, Des Moines, Iowa.

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River, Marshalltown, Iowa.  Water Resources Division, Iowa Department of Water, Air and Waste Management, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Bailey, R.M.  1954.  Distribution of the American cyprinid fish, Hybognathus hankinsoni, with comments on its original desription.  Copeia (4):289-291.

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Copes, F.  1975.  Ecology of the brassy minnow, Hybognathus hankinsoni (Hubbs).  University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, Museum of Natural History Fauna and Flora of Wisconsin Part III Report No. 10:46-72f.

Cross, F.B.  1967.  Handbook of fishes of Kansas.  University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication  No. 45, Lawrence, Kansas.  357 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Schmidt, T.R.  1994.  Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Hybognathus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae).  Copeia 1994:622-630.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.