PETITION: Return Notropis spp. to a monotypic genus!
For generations, the microangler has been burdened by taxonomy. No other group of fishes exemplifies this problem better than the so-called eastern minnows of North America, or Notropis spp. Historically, this genus was used as a repository for taxonomists as they organized “new minnow discoveries” in the field. Currently, the genus contains > 300 species which may seem beneficial or even fun for micro-anglers. However, when microanglers are forced to capture these fish for their life lists, they are often left frustrated and confused by their similarity within and among locations; this, among other factors, is clear evidence that all the different species in Notropis represent a single species. Below are my foolproof reasonings for why all these so-called species should have a taxonomic re-evaluation:
1) If they are all different species, why do they all look the same? These so called spottail (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/152150161), sand (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/140783517), and channel (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/130928912) shiners are clearly the same exact fishes caught at different spots! It gets even more ridiculous the further south you go. The wedgespot shiner (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/188546126)? Clearly just another sand shiner. The rocky shiner (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186507336)? Again, just a nonsense name for another sand or channel shiner!
2) Taxonomists have used scientific names to confuse the public. Why else would they use a dead language, Latin, as the baseline for taxonomic names? This is especially true for the Notropis genus which is overloaded with ridiculous names. Adding more of these Latin names that people are unable to pronounce or write (because it’s a dead language) is clearly a tactic used to sow confusion among the public.
3) These fish are just glorified bait, so they shouldn’t be allowed to have different scientific names.
4) Taxonomists just name stuff so they can get credit. All the names in this genus represent nerds trying to cement their legacy and nothing more.
Based on this irrefutable evidence, I recommend re-lumping all Notropis spp. into a single species, hereby referred to as common notropis (Notropis nohopis, operculum_ben 2024). I’ll submit flags for curation as soon as possible.
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I could not agree more. There was/is no difference between the 849,278 different species except for "erm ackshually there are 12 anal fin rays instead of 13 on this one 🤓🤓🤓" Just call them all "minnow". boom, problem solved. To the taxonomists crying and typing angry responses about how their clout is being denied and they no long will have a random fish with 2 iNat observations named after them, I suggest they go discover a jellyfish species or something. The ocean is big [citation needed], and I am sure you can find something.
I totally support this. Notropis, cyprinella, luxilus, they all look the same.
I completely agree, the "speciation" of Notropis is absurd. Needing to count lateral line scales or ray fins or whatever is ridiculous, they're literally all just shiny minnow. They should stop trying to speciate species for literally no reason, it's not helpful in the slightest to ANYBODY, I'll be taking this complaint to John Biology.
lol, this is great but I think we all know they are all just funny looking Warmouth and all this splitting is unnecessary
Carmine shiners and rosyface shiners being a different species is a little ridiculous though
so are we gonna call them carface shiners or rosycar shiners?
I prefer red shiner as a name for carmine shiner and rosyface shiner. Both have red on them and red in the name. Therefore, calling them red shiners makes the most sense.
iNat should consider exerting more influence over taxonomy. Species should be visually identifiable to non-scientists. Otherwise, goals such as "preservation of species" are not measurable. And the species that the average person is willing to preserve are not recognizable to them.
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