Hobbies And Interests
Description
Red shiners get their name from a spawning activity in which males gain a red hue to their fins, while their sides turn blue. Shiners grow to a maximum size of about 3.5 inches, and spawn from spring to fall in stream riffles, near submerged objects or plants. Mature shiners swim in schools in mid-water or near the surface. The red shiner is sometimes sold in pet stores as a "rainbow dace," and is sometimes referred to as the "red horse minnow."
Ecological Role
The red shiner is an opportunistic feeder, eating tiny crustaceans, insects and algae in its habitat. It also preys on other small fish. It has a high tolerance to change in water temperature, turbulence and oxygen levels, allowing it to thrive in a variety of areas. Red shiners and other minnows also serve as an important link in the food chain, becoming meals for larger fish such as bass, and animals including turtles, raccoons and birds.
As Bait
Red shiners share a natural habitat with crappie, a type of sunfish, so fishermen angling for crappie often choose the shiner as bait. In fact, the shiner's use as bait is one reason it has been able to expand beyond its native territory so effectively -- anglers have transported the live fish from one waterway to another when they empty their bait buckets.
Invasive Species
Because of its versatile nature, the red shiner has managed to expand beyond its native territory, including some parts of Texas where it doesn't naturally occur. In areas like California's San Joaquin Valley and the Colorado River Basin, the red shiner is considered a significant predator of native fish. The red shiner has been known to dilute the gene pool of native fish, as it breeds with other minnows. Such observations were made in a 2010 study by Tarleton State University graduate student Allison Love as she studied hybridization between red shiners and blacktail shiners in the Paluxy River of Northeast Texas.