This member of the minnow family is named for the rose-red color of the front lower half of the body.
It has yellowish fins, a forked tail, and an upturned mouth. The male rosyside sometimes has bumps, or tubercles, on his head, body and fins.
Did You Know?
The rosyside dace inhabits rocky flowing pools of creeks and small rivers.
Rosyside dace are omnivores, feeding on insects, worms, crayfish, algae and detritus.
Males and females are similar in size, up to 4.5 inches long.
The rosyside dace inhabits rocky flowing pools of headwaters, creeks and small rivers. It is found from the lower Delaware River to Savannah River drainages and in the Ohio River basin.
This dace is fairly common throughout its range. However, habitat loss due to pollution and siltation has led to the disappearance of this species from many areas where it was once abundant.
Rosysides are preyed upon by both terrestrial and aquatic piscivores (i.e., fish eaters), including herons, kingfishers, pike and bass.
Back to the Top