Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cypriniformes (Carps) >
Leuciscidae (Minnows) > Plagopterinae
Etymology: Margariscus: Greek, margariskos = pearl (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: These are not eponyms but relate to the meanings of ‘margarita’; pearl and daisy. The dragonfish was so-named due to having a “pearl-colored spot above the maxilla”. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Cope.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal. Temperate; 45°N - 37°N
North America: Atlantic Slope of USA from Hudson River drainage in Vermont and New York, south to Potomac River drainage in Virginia; upper Ohio River drainages in south New York to West Virginia (Ref. 86798); Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia (Ref. 52559), Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory (Ref. 119194).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 9.4 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 16.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 86798); common length : 9.3 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. reported age: 4 years (Ref. 12193)
Margariscus margarita is almost identical to Margariscus nachtriebi but can be distinguished from this species by having larger scales and usually 50-62 lateral scales (Ref. 86798).
Inhabits pools of upland creeks and small rivers, and also ponds and lakes. Usually found over sand or gravel (Ref. 86798). Feeds on copepods, cladocerans, chironomids, beetles, filamentous algae, and Chara (Ref. 1998). Spawns during the spring (Ref. 1998).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Spawning occurs in shallow rivers with moderate current, on sand or gravel. Males maintained territories 20.3 cm wide (at least 1.83 m apart from each other). A ripe female is driven onto the territory. The male places his pectoral fin beneath the female's body anteriorly, and his caudal fin placed over the caudal peduncle of the female. The pair vibrates and the eggs are deposited. Females spawn with different males.
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. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Bait: occasionally
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00617 (0.00246 - 0.01548), b=3.05 (2.83 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.36 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=4).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 126 [67, 239] mg/100g; Iron = 0.678 [0.382, 1.287] mg/100g; Protein = 17.5 [16.4, 18.6] %; Omega3 = 0.945 [0.399, 2.263] g/100g; Selenium = 11.4 [4.4, 33.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 64.5 [20.0, 210.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.19 [0.76, 1.75] mg/100g (wet weight);
