The Golden Shiner is a large, attractive minnow that can grow to 12 inches long (more typically 3-5"). They are found in schools and prefer slow-moving waters across their native East Coast range. They are found throughout the eastern half of the country and have been widely introduced in the West. They are surprisingly long-lived and have been documented surviving up to 8 years. When they begin reproducing at one to three years, the adults lay eggs but offer no parental care.
The species often engages in "egg dumping", similar to the brood parasitism used by cowbirds and cuckoos. Eggs laid in the occupied nest of a Largemouth Bass or Pumpkinseed can benefit from the occupants' protection. Interestingly, these larger fish are often predators of juvenile and adult shiners. Tough fish! Imagine if Brown-headed Cowbirds sometimes dropped an egg in the nest of a Cooper's Hawk or a Barred Owl!
There are 179 records in the project database.
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