Northern Pearl Dace
Konrad Schmidt
Length up to 6 ½ in. Member of the minnow family. Body generally cylindrical in shape. Back olive in color with a black stripe running along the side. Faded in adults. Silver sides with black specks. Belly yellow, red, white, or a combination of the three.
Status in North Dakota
Year-round Resident.
Range Map
Northern Pearl Dace primary (dark gray) and possible (light gray) range.
Reason for SWAP Designation
Degradation of habitat is the main reason for the designation of the Northern Pearl Dace.
Critical clear headwater streams used by this species are threatened by a change in land use practices.
Threats
Degradation of quality habitat is recognized as the leading cause for decline of this species; specifically, loss and destruction of riparian habitat along waterways caused by current land use practices.
Impaired water quality also contributed to the decline of this species.
Research and Monitoring
- The states rivers and streams are surveyed for species on a 5-year rotating schedule.
- North Dakota DEQ staff survey rivers and streams through their Index of Biotic Integrity program.
Management Recommendations
- Continue to use the Section 404 program to ensures affected rivers and riparian areas are mitigated to replace form and function.
- Continue to work with other federal agencies not covered by 404 to ensure affected rivers and riparian areas are mitigated to replace form and function.
- Continue to work with NDSWC to develop instream flow recommendations.
- Promote incentive programs to restore riparian areas.
- Continue to work with ND 319 Task Force in prioritizing projects within impaired watersheds and implementing BMPs.
- Implement intake conditions or recommendations.
- Cooperate with NDGFD Fisheries staff on state aquatic nuisance species plans.
- Removal of dams and other barriers.
- Retrofitting dams with fish passage structures.
Primary Geological Regions
Habitat Associations
Habitat Use
Found in pools of streams and small rivers, usually with sand or gravel bottom.
They may also be found in ponds and lakes.
Pearl Dace has not been recorded in many locations in North Dakota.
The Tongue River, a small tributary of the Pembina River in northeastern North Dakota, has a population of Pearl Dace.
They have also been recently recorded in Beaver and Spring Creek in the Missouri River drainage and Willow Creek in the Souris River drainage.
Historically they were present in Goose River but have not been documented recently.