Tennessee Dace
Chrosomus tennesseensis
About This Fish

Almost exclusively distributed in the upper Tennessee River Drainage in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, this beautiful fish can be relatively common in the small streams where they occur. Tennessee Dace are one of many fishes that often spawn over nests constructed by the River Chub (Nocomis micropogon) an interesting form of commensalism found in southeastern stream communities. Like other members of the redbelly dace group, male Tennessee Daces develop bright breeding colors in the early spring with yellow fins and a red belly.

Literature

Hamed, M.K., F.J. Alsop, and T.F. Laughlin. 2008. Life history traits of the Tennessee dace (Phoxinus tennesseensis) in northeast Tennessee. The American Midland Naturalist, 160(2), 289-300. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Hamed/publication/232681869_Life_History_Traits_of_The_Tennessee_Dace_Phoxinus_Tennesseensis_in_Northeast_Tennessee/links/5554938f08ae6943a870072c.pdf


Chen, X.Y., and G. Arratia. 1996. Breeding tubercles of phoxinus (teleostei: cyprinidae): morphology, distribution, and phylogenetic implications. Journal of morphology, 228(2), 127-144. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4687(199605)228:2%3C127::AID-JMOR2%3E3.0.CO;2-2