Roanoke logperch
Encyclopedia
The Roanoke logperch, Percina rex, is a small freshwater fish found in the Roanoke
and Chowan
drainages in Virginia
. They inhabit low and moderate-gradient streams and rivers in warm, clear water in mostly unsilted gravel and rubble in runs, pools, and riffles. They are primarily insectivorous. It is a federally listed endangered species.
Adults of these fish are between 80 to 115 mm SL
. The light-colored body is somewhat stocky and elongate. There are dark, rounded, and vertically elongate blotches on the side. They have a long, cone-shaped snout with a bulbous or blunt tip. There are two dorsal fins, which are both very tall on adult males; the first dorsal fin has an orange band bordered on both sides by black bands. The end of the tail fin is almost straight. The fins have black or brown dark marks on them. The large eyes are near the top of the head of the fish. The fish's upper jaw is longer than its lower jaw.
These fish are sexually mature by about two to three years of age. Spawning
occurs from mid-April to early May in water 12-14°C (54-58 degrees Fahrenheit). Each female may produce from 200 to 650 eggs. The eggs are adhesive to surfaces and found on the bottom of the stream or pool.
The Roanoke logperch use their conical snout to turn over gravel and feed on exposed invertebrates. This enables them to reach prey sheltered beneath rocks that may be unavailable to other benthic fishes; however, this feeding behavior relies on the availability of loosely embedded substrate.
In an ecosystem, Roanoke Logperch can be an indication that the river
or lake
has very low turbidity
.
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River is a river in southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States, 410 mi long. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains southeast across the Piedmont...
and Chowan
Chowan River
The Chowan River is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's Blackwater and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between Virginia and North Carolina. According to the USGS a variant name is Choan River....
drainages in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. They inhabit low and moderate-gradient streams and rivers in warm, clear water in mostly unsilted gravel and rubble in runs, pools, and riffles. They are primarily insectivorous. It is a federally listed endangered species.
Adults of these fish are between 80 to 115 mm SL
Fish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
. The light-colored body is somewhat stocky and elongate. There are dark, rounded, and vertically elongate blotches on the side. They have a long, cone-shaped snout with a bulbous or blunt tip. There are two dorsal fins, which are both very tall on adult males; the first dorsal fin has an orange band bordered on both sides by black bands. The end of the tail fin is almost straight. The fins have black or brown dark marks on them. The large eyes are near the top of the head of the fish. The fish's upper jaw is longer than its lower jaw.
These fish are sexually mature by about two to three years of age. Spawning
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
occurs from mid-April to early May in water 12-14°C (54-58 degrees Fahrenheit). Each female may produce from 200 to 650 eggs. The eggs are adhesive to surfaces and found on the bottom of the stream or pool.
The Roanoke logperch use their conical snout to turn over gravel and feed on exposed invertebrates. This enables them to reach prey sheltered beneath rocks that may be unavailable to other benthic fishes; however, this feeding behavior relies on the availability of loosely embedded substrate.
In an ecosystem, Roanoke Logperch can be an indication that the river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
or lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
has very low turbidity
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality....
.