Riverine Fish

Ohio is blessed with an abundance of water, but like all developing areas, past and present land use practices affect our water resources.

Land uses that allow soil to runoff into our waterways cause silting of streams and increased turbidity, which can result in a lower quality of water and thus a loss in the diversity of aquatic organisms.

Fish have specific habitat requirements, thus the health of a fish community can tell us a great deal about the quality of the waterway where they reside.

Riverine Fish of Ohio's Scenic Rivers

Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)

Longnose DaceLongnose dace are inhabitants of high gradient streams characterized by swift flowing riffles and pools with considerable currents. They are bottom dwellers feeding extensively on chironomid larvae and other aquatic insect larvae.

There are two population centers in Ohio: one in the Chagrin River and adjacent areas of Lake Erie in northeastern Ohio; the other in small high gradient tributaries of the Ohio River in Jefferson and Belmont counties in eastern Ohio. The longnose dace is a bottom dwelling species which feeds extensively on chironomid larvae.

In the Chagrin they tend to stay in the confines of the gravel, boulder, and bedrock strewn regions of the river for much of the year, however, when the summer months heat up the Longnose dace will seek refuge among the offshore waters of Lake Erie.