Moapa dace
Encyclopedia
The moapa dace is a rare cyprinid
fish
of Southern Nevada
, United States
, found only in the warm springs that give rise to the Muddy River
, and in the upper parts of the river. It is the only species of the monotypic
genus Moapa.
A small fish, with a maximum recorded length of 9 cm, its scales are small and embedded in the skin, resulting in a noticeably leathery texture (thus the species epithet, derived from Latin coriaceus "leathery"). General body shape is standard for cyprinids, with a vaguely conical head.
Moapa daces require warm water, in temperature range of 87 to 93 °F.
Cyprinid
The family Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek kyprînos , consists of the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives . Commonly called the carp family or the minnow family, its members are also known as cyprinids...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
of Southern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, found only in the warm springs that give rise to the Muddy River
Muddy River
The Muddy River, formerly known as the Moapa River, is a short river located in the southern part of the state in Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is in the Mojave Desert, approximately 60 miles north of Las Vegas.-Geography:...
, and in the upper parts of the river. It is the only species of the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Moapa.
A small fish, with a maximum recorded length of 9 cm, its scales are small and embedded in the skin, resulting in a noticeably leathery texture (thus the species epithet, derived from Latin coriaceus "leathery"). General body shape is standard for cyprinids, with a vaguely conical head.
Moapa daces require warm water, in temperature range of 87 to 93 °F.
See also
- Category: Fauna of the Mojave Desert
- Category: Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex