First records of Finescale Dace (Chrosomus neogaeus) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Abstract

The island of Newfoundland has no official record of cyprinid fishes. Here, we report the discovery of a minnow, Finescale Dace (Chromous neogaeus) from four ponds located in a first order tributary of the Exploits River, in central Newfoundland. This finding represents the first record of the species in the province. The location where the species was found is in a localized, central portion of insular Newfoundland, therefore, the most parsimonious explanation for this new record is that it was an illegal, intentional introduction. Such introductions in other provinces have occurred by anglers who felt it would serve as a forage fish for other species. The consequences of this introduction to native species are unknown; however, the dace’s local abundance, foraging behaviour, and reproductive capacity are discussed in terms of the interspecific competition with native species.