Rosyside Dace

Rosyside Dace (Clinostomus funduloides)

A pool species limited to the Blue Grass Region of southern, unglaciated Ohio, the Rosyside Dace inhabits the smaller first and second order tributaries of Sunfish Creek, Scioto Brush Creek, and the Little Scioto River in Jackson, Pike, Scioto, and Adams counties. They also occur in several of the smaller tributaries which flow directly into the Ohio River in this region.

Ohio populations of this species tend to be restricted to areas 600 feet above sea level where the stream substrates are composed entirely of gravel, boulders, and bedrock.

Rosysides are extremely intolerant of turbid waters and are found only in those streams which are characterized by clear waters and clean substrates lacking silt depositions. As the streams they inhabit frequently go intermittent during the summer, their populations can fluctuate widely depending on annual rainfall conditions.

Factors which act to limit populations include gravel removal from streams resulting in loss of pool habitats and increased siltation, development of adjacent riparian zones for home sites, removal of riparian cover for agriculture and home sites resulting in elevated water temperatures and increases siltation rates.

This species exhibits rose-colored lateral sections of the body with a dusky colored lateral band, hence the name Rosyside Dace.