About Cyprinella whipplei Girard, 1856
Cyprinella whipplei, commonly known as the steelcolor shiner, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish that belongs to Leuciscidae, the fish family that includes shiners, daces, and minnows. This species is native to North America, where it is widespread and common across the Mississippi River basin, as well as in the Black Warrior River system located in Alabama. Adult steelcolor shiners reach a maximum total length of 16 centimeters, which equals 6.3 inches, while the average adult length for the species is 8.8 centimeters, or 3.5 inches. The oldest recorded individual of this species lived to three years of age. Cyprinella whipplei is a schooling fish that inhabits rocky or sandy bottoms of creeks and small rivers. This species was formally described by Girard in 1856, and its scientific name honors Lieut. Amiel Weeks Whipple (1818–1863), a military engineer and surveyor who led the boundary survey team that collected the species' type specimen.
