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Warpaint Shiner
Scientific name: Luxilus coccogenis
Size: To 5 in.
Range: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia in the Tennessee, Santee and Savannah river systems. Introduced into the New River system in West Virginia.
Habitat: Moderate to swift currents in cool, clear streams with rocky bottoms
Diet: Terrestrial insects and aquatic insect larvae
Conservation status: Stable
Warpaint shiners are unmistakable fish, with scarlet marks on their lips, heads, and fins. They are active fish in larger streams of the upper Tennessee River and have even been taken by anglers fishing for trout. Because of their distribution, they are one of the species we are studying to learn more about their levels of genetic diversity.
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