The Percopsiformes are a small order of freshwater teleost fishes measuring less than 20 cm in length, comprising the trout-perch and its allies. It contains just ten extant species, grouped into seven genera and three families. Five of these genera are monotypic.
The mummichog is a small killifish found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Also known as Atlantic killifish, mummies, gudgeons, and mud minnows, these fish inhabit brackish and coastal waters including estuaries and salt marshes. The species is noted for its hardiness and ability to tolerate highly variable salinity, temperature fluctuations from 6 to 35 °C, very low oxygen levels, and heavily polluted ecosystems. As a result, the mummichog is a popular research subject in embryological, physiological, and toxicological studies. It is also the first fish ever sent to space, aboard Skylab in 1973.
Percina is a genus of small freshwater ray-finned fish, classified within the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches from North America. Along with similar fishes in certain other genera, members of Percina are commonly called "darters". More specifically, the genus as a whole is known as roughbelly darters, while certain species of Percina with a pattern of vertical bars on the flanks are called logperches.
Catostomus is a genus of fish belonging to the family Catostomidae, commonly known as suckers. This genus of fish usually lives in freshwater basins. Most members of the genus are native to North America, but C. catostomus is also found in Russia.
Fundulidae is the family of topminnows and North American killifishes.
The banded killifish is a North American species of temperate freshwater killifish belonging to the genus Fundulus of the family Fundulidae. Its natural geographic range extends from Newfoundland to South Carolina, and west to Minnesota, including the Great Lakes drainages. This species is the only freshwater killifish found in the northeastern United States. While it is primarily a freshwater species, it can occasionally be found in brackish water.
The Barrens topminnow is an endangered species of freshwater fish in the family Fundulidae. There are many potential causes of decline of this species including the invasive western mosquitofish that will replace native species on a population level, wading piscivorous birds that prey on adults, and the overall restricted distribution of the species. 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. 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. Most adult males are eaten by birds because of their bright coloration during breeding season. 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 it is important that species survive in captivity, but more so in its natural environment.
The saltmarsh topminnow is a species of killifish for the family Fundulidae. It occurs in the coastal wetlands of the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.
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.
Lucania is a genus of North American ray-finned killifishes in the family Fundulidae. The genus can be found in northeastern Mexico and the southeastern and eastern parts of the United States, with L. parva ranging as far north as Massachusetts. They are mostly found in fresh water, although L. parva also is frequent in coastal brackish water. They are sometimes held in aquariums.
Leuciscinae is a subfamily of the freshwater fish family Cyprinidae, which contains the true minnows.
The stippled studfish is a small freshwater fish which is endemic to the Tallapoosa River system in Georgia and Alabama, USA; and Sofkahatchee Creek in Alabama. It belongs to the genus Fundulus in the killifish and topminnow family, Fundulidae. It has been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as "near threatened" and has not been recorded in Georgia since 1990.
The northern studfish is the largest of the killifish and is native to the southcentral United States.
The southern studfish is a ray-finned fish of the family Fundulidae, the tooth carps, that is native to the southeastern United States.
The diamond killifish is a species of North American killifish found in salt marshes, hypersaline flats and mangrove along the Gulf Coast of the United States. This species grows to a length of 6 cm (2.4 in). It is found in the aquarium trade. It was previously recognized as, Adinia xenica, the only known member of its genus. Nucleotide analyses has reevaluated the phylogeny of the Funduliidae and placed the diamond killifish into the Fundulus genus.
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 nottii, the bayou topminnow or southern starhead topminnow, is a fish of the family Fundulidae found in the southeastern United States.
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.
Swingleus is a genus of monogeneans in the family Gyrodactylidae. It consists of two species, Swingleus polyclithroides Rogers, 1969. and Swingleus ancistrus Billeter, Klink & Maugel, 2000. Swingleus has been reported from the skin and fins of Fundulus grandis and Fundulus heteroclitus but not from the gills. S. polyclithroides was reported from Mobile Bay, AL and S. ancistrus has been reported from Fundulus heteroclitus ranging from Long Island Sound, NY to Pamlico Sound, NC.
