Description: The blackside dace is a small fish, usually less than 3 inches long. They have olive or gold colored backs and are silver-white or red along the underside. Two dark stripes run along each side of the fish's body. During the breeding season, the bellies of the males are bright red while the fins are bright yellow and trimmed in silver.
Range: Blackside dace are found in the upper Cumberland River drainage, mostly above Cumberland Falls. They are found primarily in Kentucky, with a few small populations known from Tennessee.
Habitat: Blackside dace inhabit small, cool, upland streams in forested areas. The forest adjacent to the stream keeps the water cool and minimizes the runoff of silt. Stream bottoms are composed of sand, sandstone, or shale substrates. Dace are found in pools near undercut banks or other cover such as brush or large rocks.
Life history: Blackside dace are small, secretive fish that spend most of their time in pools near undercut banks or other cover. They feed on algae which they find attached to rocks or other objects on the stream bottom. In the winter, they feed on aquatic insects. Spawning begins in April and extends into July. Spawning takes place over silt-free gravel areas. The life span of a blackside dace is around 3 years.
Causes of decline: The range of the blackside dace coincides with the coal-rich regions of Kentucky and Tennessee. Surface mining for coal has heavily impacted many dace populations and their habitat. Silt and acid mine drainage have caused declines in blackside dace populations and continue to be a threat. Logging is also a threat to dace populations. The canopy of trees over blackside dace streams keeps the water cool and prevents erosion of the stream bank. When logging activities remove this canopy, the stream quickly becomes degraded.
Information, photo, and range map from: Slone, T. and T. Wethington (eds.). 1998. Kentucky's Threatened and Endangered Species. Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, KY. Photo courtesy of Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL.
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