NANFA-L-- Alabama Cyprinella

Todd D. Crail (tcrail-in-UTNet.UToledo.Edu)
Tue, 1 Mar 2005 17:47:37 -0500

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Hi gang,

I'm trying to figure out what we caught here... Back in late January, a =
friend and I made a suicide run to Alabama over a weekend (yes down =
Friday night, back Sunday night) to try and get more information about =
the "southern walleye" from the Mobile Basin... Catching some "bait", =
using a school van with school gas was the <ahem> incentive to do such a =
ridiculous thing. One might also call it "Ice Madness".

Our target was Hatchet Creek in Coosa County, running into Lake Mitchell =
from the east, which Lake Mitchell is an impoundment on the Coosa =
proper. =20

Anyway... We brought back some Cyprinella that we assumed were blackspot =
shiners, C. venusta. Upon review, as I'm preparing for Jeff G and my =
invasion of the central SE next week... Completely disagree with that =
identification. In the mix were definate tricolor shiners, C. =
trichroistia (what a lovely fish), and there _may_ have been blackspots. =
But the ones that made it home we were calling blackspots... Ain't no =
way they're blackspots. =20

They have bright red inter-dorsal membranes framed by jet black, are =
getting redish tails, and a pinkish hue to their pelvic and anal fins. =
The tail spot is nearly symetrically oblong and quite prominent in =
comparison to the tricholor.

I'm leaning toward the Alabama shiner, C. callistia, but I'm not sure =
that we can rule out the Tallapoosa shiner, C. gibbsi, even though it's =
not supposed to be up there, but is darn close?

The Natureserve and FO TN and AL pictures don't really solve much =
either. None of the pictures have red in the dorsal, and this is =
really, to our eyes, this fish's most prominent color feature. =20

Any ideas? I can get shots, but I am really running short on time this =
week, and live, wiley cyprinids are such a PITA to photograph. =20

Thanks for any ideas. It may come that we'll have to go back down there =
and look again (oh darn! :) and have Prez give 'em a looky.

Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
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Hi gang,
 
I'm trying to figure out what we caught = here...=20 Back in late January, a friend and I made a suicide run to Alabama over = a=20 weekend (yes down Friday night, back Sunday night) to try and get = more=20 information about the "southern walleye" from the Mobile Basin... = Catching some=20 "bait", using a school van with school gas was the <ahem> = incentive to do=20 such a ridiculous thing.  One might also call it "Ice=20 Madness".
 
Our target was Hatchet Creek in Coosa = County,=20 running into Lake Mitchell from the east, which Lake Mitchell is an = impoundment=20 on the Coosa proper. 
 
Anyway... We brought back some = Cyprinella that we=20 assumed were blackspot shiners, C. venusta.  Upon review, = as I'm=20 preparing for Jeff G and my invasion of the central SE next week... = Completely=20 disagree with that identification.   In the mix were = definate=20 tricolor shiners, C. trichroistia (what a lovely fish), and = there _may_=20 have been blackspots. But the ones = that made it=20 home we were calling blackspots... Ain't no way they're = blackspots. =20
 
They have bright red = inter-dorsal=20 membranes framed by jet black, are getting redish tails, and a = pinkish=20 hue to their pelvic and anal fins.  The tail spot is nearly = symetrically=20 oblong and quite prominent in comparison to the tricholor.
 
I'm leaning toward the Alabama shiner, = C.=20 callistia, but I'm not sure that we can rule out the Tallapoosa = shiner,=20 C. gibbsi, even though it's not supposed to be up = there, but=20 is darn close?
 
The Natureserve and FO TN and AL = pictures don't=20 really solve much either.  None of the pictures have red in the = dorsal, and=20 this is really, to our eyes, this fish's most prominent color = feature. =20
 
Any ideas?  I can get shots, but I = am really=20 running short on time this week, and live, wiley cyprinids are such = a PITA=20 to photograph. 
 
Thanks for any ideas.  It may come = that we'll=20 have to go back down there and look again (oh darn!  :) and have = Prez give=20 'em a looky.
 
Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, = OH
It's never too late to have a happy=20 childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com
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