Chris Witte (MS)

U.S. Geological Survey Science Support Program

Reproductive Behavior and Temperature, Photoperiod, and Substrate size Requirements for Propagating the Topeka Shiner (Notropis topeka) in the Laboratory

Advisor: Dr. Doug Noltie

The Topeka shiner inhabits prairie streams having intermittent summer flows. Historically, it ranged from southern Minnesota and South Dakota through Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas. While remnant populations are still found in all of these states, the species has been extirpated from approximately 90% of this area. The Topeka shiner was officially added to the Federal Endangered Species list in 1998 and efforts are being made to recover the species. However, little is known about its reproductive behavior or environmental requirements for spawning. This research will expose test animals to different temperature and photoperiod combinations to determine which induces the highest level of reproductive activity. Behavior will be recorded by means of surveillance cameras connected to a time-lapse videocassette recorder for subsequent analysis. An additional experiment will test whether the Topeka shiner demonstrates a preference for substrates of specific sizes while spawning. Overall, the study results will aid in the propagation and recovery of Topeka shiners, and contribute to knowledge of the species’ life history.