Distribution and Ecology of the Blackside Dace, 
Phoxinus cumber landensis (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae) 
Christopher J. O’Bara 
Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit 
Department of Biology 
Tennessee Technological University 
Cookeville, Tennessee 38505 
ABSTRACT . — A recent status survey of the blackside dace, Phoxinus 
cumber landensis, resulted in nine new distributional records and a 
better understanding of the species ecology. This threatened species is 
now known from 30 streams; it inhabits approximately 27.0 km of 
small headwater streams within the Upper Cumberland River basin. 
Impacts from coal-mining activities have resulted in the loss of the 
species from seven previously reported localities. Removal of riparian 
vegetation and increased siltation appear to be the primary degrading 
factors. 
The blackside dace, Phoxinus cumberlandensis, is a rare cyprinid 
restricted to small streams of the Upper Cumberland River basin of 
Tennessee and Kentucky. The species was first discovered in 1975 and 
was described by Starnes and Starnes (1978a). A status survey in 1978 
recorded the species from 12 sites (Starnes and Starnes 1978b). 
Additional localities were reported by Starnes (1981), Warren (1981), 
and Burr and Warren (1986). The biology of the species was described 
by Starnes and Starnes (1981). The species currently is listed as a 
threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 
Phoxinus cumberlandensis has been reported only from the Upper 
Cumberland River basin. This has been confirmed by extensive surveys 
in adjacent basins: Kentucky River (Branson and Batch 1981, 1983, 
1984), Tradewater and Green rivers (Warren and Cicerello 1982), Big 
South Fork River (O’Bara and Estes 1984), Little South Fork River 
(Branson and Schuster 1982), and Powell River (Tennessee Valley 
Authority 1975). In addition, Harker et al. (1979, 1980) reported on 
surveys of Tygarts Creek and the Kentucky, Little Sandy, Licking, and 
Upper Cumberland river basins. 
The main purpose of the present study was to determine the current 
status of P. cumberlandensis. Potential threats and habitat requirements 
were also investigated. 
STUDY AREA 
The Upper Cumberland River basin has been traditionally defined 
as that section upstream of Cumberland Falls (McGrain 1966). Although 
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