Species of Greatest Conservation Need

1279 species
Taxonomic Group
Federal Status
State Status
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Species of Greatest Conservation Need (Updated: 01/31/2024)
Common Name Scientifc Name Taxonomic Group Federal Status State Status Global Rank State Rank Endemic General Habitat Type(s)
Texas shiner Notropis amabilis Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4 S4 False In Texas, it is found primarily in Edwards Plateau streams from the San Gabriel River in the east to the Pecos River in the west. Typical habitat includes rocky or sandy runs, as well as pools.
blackspot shiner Notropis atrocaudalis Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4 S3 False Occurs from the lower Brazos River to the Sabine River drainage; Red River drainage. Small to moderate size tributary streams in runs and pools over all types of substrates.
Red River shiner Notropis bairdi Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4 S3 False Red River basin; typically found in turbid waters of broad, shallow channels of main stream, over bottom mostly of silt and shifting sand.
river shiner Notropis blennius Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S3? False Range in central Texas from the Colorado and Brazos basins northward to the Red River; found in large, often turbid rivers having exposed, shallow, sand-filled channels where sediments accumulate in shallow backwaters, gentle eddies, and along the deeper edges of sand �waves� that are formed on shifting substrate by actions of the current.
Tamaulipas shiner Notropis braytoni Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G4 S1S2 False Restricted to the Rio Grande basin in Texas including the lower Pecos River. Typically found in large rivers and creeks associated with a variety of flowng-water habitats such as runs and riffles over gravel, cobble, and sand.
smalleye shiner Notropis buccula Fish - Freshwater LE E G2 S1S2 True Endemic to the Brazos River drainage; presumed to have been introduced into the Colorado River. Historically found in lower Brazos River as far south as Hempstead, Texas but appears to now be restricted to upper Brazos River system upstream of Possum Kingdom Lake. Typically found in turbid waters of broad, sandy channels of main stream, over substrate consisting mostly of shifting sand.
ironcolor shiner Notropis chalybaeus Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4 S3 False Found only in northeastern streams from the Sabine to the Red River with the exception of an isolated population found in the San Marcos River headwaters. Found primarily in acidic, tannin-stained, non-turbid, sluggish Coastal Plain streams and<br />rivers of low to moderate gradient. Occurs in aggregation, often at the upstream ends of pools, with a moderate to sluggish current and sand, mud, silt or detritus substrates. Usually associated with aquatic vegetation.
Chihuahua shiner Notropis chihuahua Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G3 S2 False Limited to smaller tributaries of the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region; Mid-water or bottom-dwelling species, usually found over gravel to sand substrate, in clear, cool, moving waters; also collected over rubble bottom with some boulders, bedrock and mud; vegetation may be present
Arkansas River shiner Notropis girardi Fish - Freshwater LT T G2 S2 False Canadian River. Typically found in turbid water over mostly silt and shifting sand substrates. Generally inhabits shallow water; found in slower currents in areas having high conductivity and low turbidity.
Rio Grande shiner Notropis jemezanus Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G3 S1 False Rio Grande drainage. Occurs over substrate of rubble, gravel and sand, often overlain with silt
taillight shiner Notropis maculatus Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S1 False Restricted to the Sulphur and Cypress drainages in northeast Texas; Quiet, usually vegetated oxbow lakes, ponds, or backwaters.
West Texas shiner Notropis megalops Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed GNR SNR False In Texas occurs in the lower Pecos River, San Felipe Creek, Devils River and Sycamore Creek. No studies of habitat requirements.
phantom shiner Notropis orca Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed GXQ SX False Habiat included the main channel of the Rio Grande, usually over sand and often in turbid water (Page and Burr 2011).
sharpnose shiner Notropis oxyrhynchus Fish - Freshwater LE E G3 S1S2 True Range is now restricted to upper Brazos River upstream of Possum Kingdom Lake. May be native to Red River and Colorado River basins. Typically found in turbid water over mostly silt and shifting sand substrates.
chub shiner Notropis potteri Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G4 S2 False Brazos, Colorado, San Jacinto, and Trinity river basins. Flowing water with silt or sand substrate
Sabine shiner Notropis sabinae Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G4 S3 False Inhabits small streams and large rivers of eastern Texas from San Jacinto drainage northward along the Gulf Coast to the Sabine River Basin; Habitat generalist with affinities for shallow, moving water and rarely found in pools and backwater areas;<br />closely restricted to substrate of fine, silt free sand in small creeks and rivers having slight to moderate current.
silverband shiner Notropis shumardi Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4 False In Texas, found from Red River to Lavaca River; Main channel with moderate to swift current velocities and moderate to deep depths; associated with turbid water over silt, sand, and gravel.
Pecos Bluntnose Shiner Notropis simus pecosensis Fish - Freshwater LT T G1T1 SX False Likely extripated from Texas. Historically inhabited the lower Pecos River. Typically in main river channel over sand, gravel, and silt.
Rio Grande bluntnose shiner Notropis simus simus Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G1TX SX False Likely extinct. Rio Grande; Typically in main river channel over sand, gravel, and silt.
Rio Grande cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii virginalis Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5T3 SNR False It is thought to have been originally present in at least Limpia and McKittrick creeks in Texas and possibly elsewhere in the Davis Mountains, but is not extirpated. Originally occupied a variety of fluvial habitats, ranging from first-order streams to the Rio Grande mainstem, now restricted to small headwater streams with gravelly substrates.
Guadalupe darter Percina apristis Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G4 S2 True Endemic to the Guadalupe River Basin; Found in riffles; most common under or around 25-30 cm boulders in the main current; seems to prefer moderately turbid water.
blackside darter Percina maculata Fish - Freshwater Not Listed T G5 S1 False Restricted to the Red River Basin in the northeast part of the state although specimens have been taken in the lower Trinity and San Jacinto rivers; Often found in clear, gravelly streams.
river darter Percina shumardi Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4 False In Texas limited to eastern streams including Red River southward to the Neches River, and a disjunct population in the Guadalupe and San Antonio river systems east of the Balcones Escarpment. Confined to large rivers and lower parts of major tributaries; usually found in deep chutes and riffles where current is swift and bottom composed of coarse gravel or rock.
suckermouth minnow Phenacobius mirabilis Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S4 False In Texas, occurs in limited numbers in Canadian, Red, Sabine, Trinity and Colorado river drainages. Riffles and shallow runs with clean sand, gravel, or larger substrate bottoms. May move into shallow riffles at night.
flathead chub Platygobio gracilis Fish - Freshwater Not Listed Not Listed G5 S2 False Likely extirpated from Texas. Known from the Canadian River in the Panhandle in Texas. Found in strong currents over sandy bottoms and in shallow pools.