Cyprinidae

Moapa dace

Gila coriacea

Embedded scales create leathery skin

• Temperate
• Northern Hemisphere
• Local endemic species
• Restricted distribution
• Freshwater fish
• North America
• Fusiform
• Small
• Temperate fish

The moapa dace (Gila coriacea) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces, chubs, Eurasian minnows and related species. This is a rare fish found in southern Nevada, United States, found only in the upper parts of the Muddy (formerly Moapa) River, and in the warm springs that give rise to the river. A small fish, with a maximum recorded length of 9 cm (3.5 in), its scales are small and embedded in the skin, resulting in a noticeably leathery texture (thus the species epithet, derived from Latin coriaceus "leathery").