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Longnose Dace
Rhinichthys cataractae
Photo credit:
Life history and habitat
requirements: The Longnose Dace
are similar in appearance to the Blacknose Dace but lacking
the dark band around the snout and along the body. The Longnose
Dace prefers the moving waters of swift riffles over boulder,
cobble, or pebble and gravel-bottom streams, avoiding pools
and quiet water. They breed generally in the spring. Although
they do not build nests, the male guards a small territory
around the eggs. Longnose Dace are insectivores, preying heavily
on larval blackflies and midges. There is only one report
of Longnose Dace in the Assabet watershed. (Sources:
Inland Fishes of Massachusetts)
Total Length:
About 3 inches (largest recorded in Massachusetts, from the
Westfield River, 6 inches)
Pollution tolerance (US EPA):
intermediate tollerance
Classification:
Fluvial specialist
Number of fish found during 1954 & 2001
Fish Surveys*
| Location |
No. of Fish 1954 |
No. of Fish 2001 |
| Great Brook |
9 |
|
| Total |
9 |
0 |
*Data sources:
Schlotterbeck, L.C. and W.A. Tompkins,
1954. "A Fisheries Investigation of the Merrimack and Ipswich
River Drainages." Bureau of Wildlife Research and Management,
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Game.
DFW, 2001. Assabet Watershed Fish Survey. MA Department of Fisheries
and Wildlife, Westborough, MA.
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