Range extensions for northern redbelly dace (Chrosomus eos), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile) in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Relatively little is known of the distribution of small fish in the far north of Ontario, Canada, particularly in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Between 2009 and 2014, we sampled 81 locations across six study areas in Ontario's far north to determine the extent of species occurrences beyond their reported ranges. We used galvanized minnow traps and a standardized effort as well as incidental sampling that included dip and seine netting. We documented 25 fish species across the region, including three species beyond their known geographic ranges: Northern Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus eos, Cyprinidae), Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas, Cyprinidae), and Iowa Darter (Etheostoma exile, Percidae).