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State Threatened
Description
The common shiner is a silvery, rather deep, and slab-sided minnow with moderately large eyes and a terminal, oblique mouth lacking barbels. Their back is light olive with a broad dark stripe along its midline. Their sides are silvery with scattered dark crescents and with an iridescent golden stripe visible at certain angles. Belly silvery white.
Breeding males with head deep lead-blue; body and fins flushed with pink; a broad golden stripe extends along the midline of the back and another is present along upper side; also has breeding tubercles, mostly on the head.
Image by Ellen Edmondson and Hugh H. Chrisp (Cornell University)
Habitat Role
Inhabits small, clear streams having moderate gradients and a predominance of small gravel. Occurs in schools in midwater, often with other minnow species such as the Central Stoneroller and Creek Chub. In Colorado, the species has historically only been found in streams along the Front Range, where it was once common.
Setting aside their importance to human economics, minnows play a huge role in converting the basic productivity of streams and lakes — algae and the tiniest animals — into food for larger fish and other predators such as fish-eating birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
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