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Tennessee Dace
Scientific name: Phoxinus tennesseensis
Size: To 3 in.
Range: Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia in the upper Tennessee River system.
Habitat: Pools or moderate current in cool, clear streams
Diet: Terrestrial insects and aquatic insect larvae
Conservation status: Special Concern
Tennessee dace are one of our more colorful native fishes, with males developing scarlet bellies, yellow fins, silver patches, and black lines during breeding season. They are found in small headwater streams in shallow pools with cool water. Unfortunately, many of these populations are being lost, and Tennessee dace are listed as a Special Concern species by the state. We are currently studying their genetics to learn more about how fragmentation affects fishes in headwater streams.
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