Brassy minnow

The brassy minnow (Hybognathus hankinsoni) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, the shiners, daces and minnows. The fish gets its scientific name (Hybognathus hankinsoni) from the Greek word Hybognathus, meaning bulging jaw, and hankinsoni from the American scientist, T.L. Hankinson. It is commonly found throughout the northern United States and Canada.

Habitat

The brassy minnow typically lives in cool, slow moving streams and creeks that have sand, mud or gravel bottoms overlaid with organic sediment. They are also found in overflow ponds near rivers, boggy lakes, brackish tidal waters, and ditches with weedy bottoms. They live in water with a large range of pH's, and are able to survive at low oxygen levels, displaying high levels of environmental tolerance. The water can be clear or turbid. Brassy minnows appear to do better in habitats with minimal predators, or those that have structure for them to hide in, as they are very susceptible to predation.

Distribution

Range extends from the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain drainages, throughout the Great Lakes and Northern United States and into Alberta and British Columbia.

Behaviour

Hybognathus hankinsoni are omnivorous eating algae, plankton and aquatic invertebrates that live in the organic sediment or the weeds that grow in their environment. Although omnivorous, the brassy minnow is typically vegetarian, mainly eating the algae, especially diatoms and desmids, found growing in the streams and ponds it inhabits. The minnows feed in schools with peak feeding times around 1–3 pm. Additionally, brassy minnows are first level consumers and are therefore important in the transfer of nutrients to higher trophic levels.