| Barrens topminnow | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Fundulidae |
| Genus: | Fundulus |
| Species: | F. julisia |
| Binomial name | |
| Fundulus julisia J. D. Williams & Etnier, 1982 | |
| Synonyms [4] | |
Fundulus julisiaeWilliams & Etnier, 1982 | |
The Barrens topminnow (Fundulus julisia) is an endangered [1] species of freshwater fish in the family Fundulidae. [5]
F. julisia is not only found in one state, Tennessee, but also in only one region, the Barrens Plateau, a region of Middle Tennessee west of the Cumberland Plateau. [6] In that specific region it is currently only found in the Elk River and a drainage creek of the Cumberland River, West Hickory Creek. [7] However, that has not always been the only thought of location for F. julisia's habitat. They are often associated with springs, but drought conditions made them adapt to survive in springs where permanent water was near by. They prefer heavily vegetated areas of aquatic vegetation or algae in shallow, slow moving water. [8] Given the above habitat, it is observed that F. julisia can tolerate warm temperatures of water and turbidity, the presence of competitors, and the presence of predators. This, along with spawning, make aquatic vegetation a limiting factor for the fish. [9]
Historically, F. julisia was also found in the Duck River. The population there is thought to have been extirpated by the 1960s. [3]
In overall behavior F. julisia does not differ greatly from other members of the genus Fundulus. It is an opportunistic carnivore that preys upon crustaceans, gastropods (snails and slugs), and insects that are both aquatic and that fall into the substrate. [8] In an examination of gut contents it was found that crustaceans made up 64% of their diet while aquatic insects made up 23% and various other organisms made up the remaining 13%. [10] It competes for this prey with F. catenatus (northern studfish) and Gambusia affinis (western mosquitofish). This is an interesting relationship because G. affinis is one of the leading causes of decline in F. julisia due to competition for the same prey. [11] F. julisia is preyed upon by bass (Micropterus species) and sunfish (Lepomis species) within the substrate. Outside the water F. julisia is preyed upon by piscivorous birds that spear them with a sharp tipped beak or catch them with ridged edged beaks. [10] During breeding season males are easily spotted due to their bright mating colors, which makes them easier prey. Males have been found to have two different morphs with the primary difference being the marginal and submarginal bands on the caudal and posterior dorsal fin. One morph has a pale yellow submarginal band and the other translucent blue with white and orange submarginal bands. [6] All females are far less colorful, appearing yellowish and washed out. Even as juveniles males and females can be distinguished from one another due to the males having iridescent green coloration on their sides. [6]
Breeding season for this species is annual and is believed to be as early as mid-March when the males were observed to first have their breeding colors. At this time the water temperature is roughly 14–15 °C (57–59 °F). Eggs have been collected in mid-April from clumps of algae. Females lay around 200 to 250 mature ova over a period of time, laying only a few daily. [6] Though relatively opportunistic in spawning sites, F. julisia egg morphology suggests that submergent vegetation is most preferred and in turn most successful. Loss of successful spawning sites could be one of the main ecological factors that limit its distribution. [6] Territoriality has been observed in the field, but it is more abundant in aquaria settings. In aquaria males have been observed defending portions of the tank that resulted in a single male's dominance. In the field males only slightly defend their clumps of filamentous algae. Females never exhibited territorial behavior in the field, but were seen defending feeding areas in the aquaria. Sexual maturity is reached at 1 year with a maximum lifespan of 3 years, though most individuals do not live that long and die off after spawning. [6]
The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee (TNC) is working with private landowners to preserve local habitats known to support F. julisia. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is also participating in these activities and upgraded the state status of the species to endangered. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are also actively funding and assisting landowners to protect habitat, both where the fish currently occurs, as well as at sites where populations are currently being or may be restored in the near future. [9] Through the aid of these organizations captive breeding programs have been successful and reintroduction of F. julisia to areas of the Barrens Plateau is being implemented. [7]
The Barrens topminnow was declared an endangered species by USWFS and began receiving protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 in 2019. [3]
In relation to current management plans it is important to continue monitoring the introduced populations for success, failure, and any other occurrence such as over predation and lack of viable habitat. Land management should also be incorporated into F. julisia's management. The success of the stream is directly related to the success of the land. Buffer zones need to be put in to protect the stream habitats from runoff and siltation. These zones need to be at least 20–35 feet wide extending outward from the stream to add stability to the tree species and prevent blow down into water. [12] Canopy cover from trees will moderate temperature and create woody debris in the substrate that will create micro-habitats that support prey species of F. julisia. This will also deter access to the stream, thus maintaining its health. Open water habitats that are shallow and slow moving need to be created along with the addition and growth of filamentous algae for success in spawning. [7] To ensure the population is stabilized, periodic sampling is highly recommended. Sampling should occur at least every 6 months to monitor breeding and survival success rates. Electroshockers would be the most accurate way to find a population size. It allows you to catch a larger batch of fish and gives you time to examine and take measurements while the fish is stunned. Shocking should take place in the pool portions of the streams leading up to the riffle area since F. julisia is known to attempt to escape from predators in that portion of the stream. Invasive species should be monitored and removed if they become a threat to the livelihood of F. julisia. This should also be done via electroshocking. With these management practices in place F. julisia populations should be able to be maintained and even increased over time.[ citation needed ]
There are many potential causes of decline of this species including the invasive western mosquitofish ( Gambusia affinis ) that will replace native species on a population level, wading piscivorous birds that prey on adults, and the overall restricted distribution of the species. [10] Managing for this species is vital for its success, but to do so there must be an understanding of the species' characteristics. It is endemic to a small portion of Tennessee in the Elk River and West Hickory Creek in the Cumberland River drainage. [7] The life span of F. julisia is very short, living up to only 3 years. In many cases the majority of the population does not even reach that age. [13] Most adult males are eaten by birds because of their bright coloration during breeding season. [7] Current management plans are in place for the improvement of the species such as captive breeding and reintroduction, and also private management of streams and land. Yet, more can be done to aid them in their survival efforts. Buffer zones around streams can be created to promote the health of the stream and close observation of the introduced populations needs to be a priority. With only three small original populations left in the wild [14] it is important that species survive in captivity, but more so in its natural environment.
The western mosquitofish is a North American freshwater poeciliid fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply mosquitofish or by its generic name, Gambusia, or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the eastern mosquitofish is also referred to by these names.
The fire salamander is a common species of salamander found in Europe.
Gambusia is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae. Gambusia contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in brackish or saltwater habitats. The genus Gambusia comes from the Cuban term, "Gambusino", which means "free-lance miner". The type species is the Cuban gambusia, G. punctata. The greatest species richness is in Mexico, Texas, and the Greater Antilles, but species are also found elsewhere in the eastern and southern United States, the Bahamas, Central America, and Colombia. Gambusia species are often called topminnows, or simply gambusias; they are also known as mosquitofish, which, however, refers more specifically to two species, G. affinis and G. holbrooki, which are often introduced into ponds to eat mosquito larvae. As a consequence, they have been introduced widely outside their native range, and frequently become invasive, threatening local species. G. affinis and G. holbrooki are now established in many parts of the world and are likely to continue to spread as climatic conditions change. They are only occasionally kept in aquariums, due to their relative lack of color and the highly aggressive nature of the aforementioned mosquitofish species.
Fundulus is a genus of ray-finned fishes in the superfamily Funduloidea, family Fundulidae. It belongs to the order of toothcarps (Cyprinodontiformes), and therein the large suborder Cyprinodontoidei. Most of its closest living relatives are egg-laying, with the notable exception of the splitfin livebearers (Goodeidae).
The eastern mosquitofish is a species of freshwater fish, closely related to the western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. The eastern mosquitofish is native to the eastern and southern United States from Florida to Pennsylvania and inland to Alabama and Tennessee, while the western mosquitofish has a larger distribution throughout the United States.
The blackstripe topminnow, Fundulus notatus, is a small freshwater fish in the family Fundulidae, found in central North America.
The trispot darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to northern Georgia and southern Tennessee in the United States, where it occurs in the Conasauga River and its tributaries and historically in the Alabama River system. It requires two interconnecting habitats; outside the breeding season it occupies the peripheral zones of the main river, with slow-moving water and silt gravel substrates with vegetation cover; during the breeding season it moves to warmer water with a clay-bottomed substrate with much vegetation. The population of this fish is declining due to loss of suitable habitat because of stream impoundment and land development. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "vulnerable".
The Bermuda killifish is a small fish which is endemic to the islands of Bermuda in the western Atlantic Ocean. It belongs to the genus Fundulus in the killifish and topminnow family, Fundulidae.
The golden topminnow is a fish of the genus Fundulus and is a United States native fish mostly distributed throughout the southeast, ranging from Kentucky and Ohio south into Florida. Although it has such a wide distribution throughout the south, the habitats and micro-habitats that it occupies do not differ much from one area of distribution to others. The golden topminnow is a small surface feeding fish that tends to reproduce late in the spring season and on into the early parts of the summer, and although the fry reach maturity fairly quickly the longevity of the golden topminnow is quite short. Because the golden topminnow is lower in the trophic level and is a small fish, it primarily feeds on small and/or drifting organisms at, or near the surface of, vegetated areas. This particular topminnow is not currently listed as an endangered species, nor does it have any particular type of management plan.
The lined topminnow is a small fish in the genus Fundulus which is found in swamps and backwaters from southern Virginia to Lake Okeechobee.
The Yaqui topminnow is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae. Its scientific name is Poeciliopsis sonoriensis; it is also sometimes considered a subspecies of Poeciliopsis occidentalis as P. o. sonoriensis. This fish is native to Mexico and the United States, with a few native and introduced populations persisting in Arizona in the United States, and a number of populations still extant in northern Sonora, Mexico.
The eastern mosquitofish was introduced to Australia in 1925, and had spread from the northeast coasts to New South Wales, southern Australia, and parts of Western Australia by 1934. By the 21st century, known populations of wild mosquitofish had occurred in every state and territory except the Northern Territory, found in swamps, lakes, billabongs, thermal springs, salt lakes, and ornamental ponds. Mosquitofish are considered a noxious pest, especially in New South Wales and Queensland, and it is illegal to release them into the wild or transport them live into any of the states or territories. Mosquitofish were introduced by military and local councils to control mosquito populations; however, there has been no evidence that Gambusia has had any effect in controlling mosquito populations or mosquito-borne diseases. Studies have shown that Gambusia can suffer mortalities if fed only on mosquito larvae, and survivors show poor growth and maturation. Gambusia typically eat zooplankton, beetles, mayflies, caddis flies, mites and other invertebrates; mosquito larvae make up only a small portion of their diet.
The creek chubsucker is a freshwater fish of the sucker family (Catostomidae).
The northern studfish is the largest of the killifish and is native to the southcentral United States.
The blackspotted topminnow, Fundulus olivaceus, is a species of fish in the family Fundulidae: the topminnows and North American killifishes. It is native to the south-central United States, where it is known from the drainages of the Mississippi River from Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico and as far west as Galveston Bay.
The southern studfish is a ray-finned fish of the family Fundulidae, the tooth carps, that is native to the southeastern United States.
The plains topminnow is a species of freshwater topminnow found in North America. The fish has a small range within the United States of America which consists of two major populations.
The bayou killifish or bayou topminnow is a topminnow-like fish that thrives primarily in the shallow waters off the shores of the Americas, as well as fresh and brackish waters. Feeding off of small vertebrates and invertebrates, this fish displays reproduction techniques unique to its species.
Fundulus zebrinus is a species of fish in the Fundulidae known by the common name plains killifish. It is native to North America, where it is distributed throughout the Mississippi River, Colorado River, and Rio Grande drainages, and other river systems; many of its occurrences represent introduced populations.
Fundulus luciae, the spotfin killifish, is a member of the genus Fundulus. This hardy fish is notable for spending its entire life in sporadically flooded salt marsh habitat, sheltering in shallow pools, puddles, and small tidal rivulets. It closely resembles the mummichog in shape and coloration, but the two species can be distinguished by dorsal fin ray count: 8–9 in the spotfin versus 11–12 in the mummichog. Additionally, the dorsal fin of F. luciae originates farther back, and slightly behind the anal fin origin; in the mummichog, the dorsal fin begins anteriorly to the anal fin origin. The spotfin killifish is named for the pronounced ocellus found on the posterior dorsal fin of adult males. It is a small fish, seldom attaining 50 millimetres (2.0 in) in total length. Its distribution extends along the U.S. east coast from Massachusetts to Georgia.
