Northern redbelly dace
📖 Overview
Adults inhabit lakes, ponds, bogs, and pools of headwaters and creeks. They usually occur over silt, often near vegetation . They feed mainly on algae, but also on zooplankton and aquatic insects. Preyed upon by fishes, kingfishers and mergansers . Spawning occurs in spring or early summer . Used as bait in parts of Ontario and Quebec .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Chrosomus eos is distinguished from a similar species C. erythrogaster by having more rounded, shorter (about equal to eye diameter) snout and more upturned mouth, with chin in front of upper lip. Other characters useful to identify this species include 70-90 lateral scales and red or yellow belly, head, and fins in large males .
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Northern redbelly dace is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
A female attracts a few males with her darting movements. Together, the group dives into a mass of filamentous algae and release sperm and nonadhesive eggs. The group spawns in several algal masses.
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Freshwater; demersal; non-migratory . Temperate; 61°N - 41°N North America: Atlantic, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and upper Mississippi, Missouri and Peace-Mackenzie River drainages, from Nova Scotia west to Northwest Territories and British Columbia in Canada; south to northern Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nebraska in USA.
🌿 Ecology
algae, but also on zooplankton and aquatic insects
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Northern redbelly dace is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Detailed nutritional data for Northern redbelly dace is currently being compiled from USDA FoodData Central.
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Northern redbelly dace has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Leatherback Dace · Northern Redbelly Dace · Northern Redbelly Minnow · Red Bellied Dace · Redbelly Dace · Yellow-belly Dace |
| 🌍CES | střevle pennsylvánská |
| 🇫🇷French | Méné ventre rouge · ventre rouge du nord |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Солнечный хросомус |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chrosomus dakotensis | Evermann & Cox | 1896 | Synonym |
| Phoxinus eos | Cope | 1861 | Synonym |
| Phoxinus milnerianus | Cope | 1879 | Synonym |
🦠 Common Diseases
The following diseases are known to affect Northern redbelly dace.
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 29 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Northern redbelly dace ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.