Bigmouth shiner (Notropis dorsalis) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 12

Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

The bigmouth shiner is native to the United States and Canada. In Ohio, Trautman (1981) considered the species to be almost extirpated. It is presently listed as “threatened” in Ohio, as its distribution is restricted to two small watersheds that flow north into Lake Erie (Appendix F in Anonymous 1997). In 1998, the bigmouth shiner was unlisted in Pennsylvania, but had been recommended for “threatened” status, as the species occurs only the northwestern part of the state. Clady (1976) considered the species to be threatened in New York. However, the bigmouth shiner is presently not listed as extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened, or of special concern in New York. Thus, its status in this state remains unknown.

In April 1985, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) approved and assigned rare status to the bigmouth shiner in Canada. After categorical changes were made within COSEWIC, the species was re-designated as vulnerable. After another categorical re-alignment, the bigmouth shiner was assessed as a Species of Special Concern in Canada “because of characteristics that make it particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events” (COSEWIC 2002). 

There is no protection specific to the bigmouth shiner in Canada. The federal Fisheries Act prohibits the harmful alteration, disruption and destruction (HADD) of fish habitat.

The Manitoba Conservation Data Centre (MBCDC) has established ranks of Species of Conservation Concern. The ranks are divided into a global rank (G) and a provincial rank (S). The bigmouth shiner has been ranked as G5, S3. A global rank of G5 indicates that the species is “demonstrably widespread, abundant, and secure throughout its range” and “essentially irradicable under present conditions” (MBCDC web site 2003). A provincial rank of S3 indicates that it is uncommon in the province with 21-100 occurrences.

Page details

Date modified: