Habitat Associations, Life History and Diet of the Sabine Shiner Notropis sabinae in an East Texas Drainage

—We examined aspects of the ecology of Notropis sabinae, the Sabine shiner, including habitat associations, population age structure, reproduction and diet in two east Texas streams from November 2001 through October 2002. Notropis sabinae exhibited no strong seasonal habitat associations, but generally were found in relatively shallow slow flowing runs and riffles. The population consisted of three age groups (ages 0, 1, 2) with age1 fish being the most abundant. Estimated maximum life span was 2.5 y. Reproductively mature individuals were observed from May through October. Temporal patterns in ovarian development, gonadosomatic index and ova development indicated that N. sabinae spawns multiple clutches of eggs over an extended spawning period. Stomach contents consisted primarily of aquatic insects, followed by other aquatic taxa (e.g., Collembola, Crustacea and Hydracarina) and terrestrial insects.