Minnows Habitat

Out of the trillions of fish in the earth's waters today, minnows are a diverse and dynamic group of fish. They are found in all of the United States' rivers, streams and most lakes. They have a limited tolerance towards the environment they live in and sometimes do not adapt well to certain changes. They form the basis of the natural stream fish fauna, and cannot survive in saltwater.

  1. Basics

    • A minnow's habitat is generally in clean streams and rivers that contain either a stony or sandy bed, and that is cold, running or even still water that is oxygenated. Minnows will reach depths of 2,000 m and are sometimes found in lakes.

    Spawn Season

    • Minnows live and travel in groups and feed on plants, algae and insects. During spawning season (from April to June), they will usually migrate upstream to gravelly, shallow areas. This is a good time to catch minnows for either purposes of bait or as pets.

    Geography

    • There are around 2,100 species of minnows found in North America, Eurasia and Africa. About 230 of those species are found throughout the United States and Canada. There are some states that minnows appear to reside in more than others such as Pennsylvania and Iowa. There have been 39 species documented in Pennsylvania. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, minnows also has a diverse group in Iowa. However, due to the minnows not being able to adapt to habitat changes, a high percentage of the minnows have either perished or are threatened with extirpation. Minnow groups such as the redside dace, sturgeon chub and the ironcolor shiner have all recently extirpated, while the sicklefin chub, lake chub, silverband shiner and the blacknose shiner are endangered.

    Other Habitat Information

    • Minnows are typically small fish and rarely reach more than 12 inches in length. Since they are small, they are not really a predator towards other fish, although they have been known to eat each other. They usually become prey for birds, mammals and other fishes.

    History of the Minnows Habitat

    • It is uncertain on how long minnows have been in existence, but they have always appeared in the United States. With the changes of geology, minnows have learned to change with it. Since the rise of man, the treatment of land and the modification of streams and rivers has brought a dramatic change upon the minnows habitat, forcing the minnows to adapt to these changes.