Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes
(Carps) > Cyprinidae
(Minnows or carps) > Leuciscinae
Etymology: Plagopterus: Greek, plagios = oblique + Greek, pteron = wing, fin (Ref. 45335). More on author: Cope.
Environment / Climate / Range
Freshwater; demersal. Temperate; 36°N - 32°N
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26186); max. reported age: 4 years (Ref. 12193)
soft rays: 9 - 10. Anal fin with 9-10 rays; ventral-fin origin before dorsal-fin origin; large, forked caudal fin; pharyngeal teeth 1,5-4,1; scales absent; wide, flat head; body compressed at rear; subterminal mouth on long, rounded snout; barbel at corner of mouth; fairly small eye high on head; dusky gray above; brilliant silver side, often with blue sheen, sometimes faint yellow at paired fin bases; breeding males with pink lower side (Ref. 86798).
North America: Virgin and Gila River systems (both lower Colorado River drainage) in Utah, Nevada and Arizona, USA. Extant only in Gila River system.
Occurs in fast sandy runs and pools of small to medium rivers, usually in warm turbid water (Ref. 86798). Most commonly found in shallow, moderately flowing water over shifting sand substrates (Ref. 26186). Spawning in the Virgin river begins in April to May and continues through August (Ref. 26186).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 2011. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 663p. (Ref. 86798)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 96402)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 1.0000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00813 (0.00388 - 0.01704), b=3.13 (2.96 - 3.30), based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.1 ±0.1 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=4).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (24 of 100) .