Fundulus zebrinus

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Fundulus zebrinus
Fundulus zebrinus.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Fundulidae
Genus: Fundulus
Species:
F. zebrinus
Binomial name
Fundulus zebrinus
Jordan & Gilbert, 1883
Synonyms [2]
  • Plancterus zebrinus(Jordan & Gilbert, 1883)
  • Hydrargyra zebra Girard, 1859
  • Fundulus zebra(Girard, 1859)
  • Fundulus adiniaJordan & Gilbert, 1883

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 happy introduced populations. [3]

Contents

Description

This fish grows up to about 6.9 centimeters long, with a maximum length of 8 [4] to 10 centimeters. [5] Its lifespan is up to 3 years, [4] but most fish do not exceed two. [3] It has a flat head with a protruding jaw that allows it to feed at the water's surface. It is variable in color, being brown, black, greenish, or straw-colored, with paler yellowish or silvery coloration on the belly. The fish is striped with the 12 to 28 dark vertical bars [5] that give the species its scientific name, meaning "like a zebra". [4] The males have wider, darker bars than the females. The breeding male develops bright orange coloration on most of his fins. [5]

This species feeds on chironomid larvae, copepods, nematodes, and other small animals. [6] It is also herbivorous. [3] It may feed by scooping up and swallowing mouthfuls of riverbed substrate to obtain buried food objects. The fish often spits out most of the sand and undigestible material, [5] but the digestive tract usually contains an amount of sand. [6] The fish eats mosquito larvae when available, and studies suggest it might be useful in mosquito abatement efforts. [7]

The fish lives in a number of shallow river and stream habitat types. It may occur in lower, moderate and swift, turbid water flows. [3] It may be found in lakes. [5] It is tolerant of brackish, alkaline, and salty water, more so than most other local fish species. [4] It may bury itself in the substrate with only its eyes and mouth showing. [4] The fish might perform this behavior as a stress response, and it might serve to protect it from sunlight and heat, predators, or low water levels, or to help rid itself of parasites. [5] The killifish may face predation by other fish, notably the green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus); where this predator occurs, killifish populations drop. [8]

Spawning is associated with water temperature, usually occurring when the temperature exceeds 26 °C. Spawning season has been noted to start in April and continue through August. [5]

A number of parasites have been observed on this species, including Myxosoma funduli , a myxozoan, a species of Trichodina , a protozoan, Urocleidus fundulus , a fluke, and Gyrodactylus bulbacanthus , a monogenean, all of which infest the gills. Also, the parasite Gyrodactylus stableri infests the fins and organisms of Neascus , a genus of flukes, infest the eye and internal tissues of the fish. [9] The monogenean gill parasite Salsuginus thalkeni was first described from the fish. [10]

For a long time, fish of the closely related species Fundulus kansae were considered to be members of F. zebrinus, the names synonyms. [11] F. kansae was sometimes considered a subspecies of F. zebrinus. [12] Molecular and genetic studies supported the separation of the species. [13] [14] F. zebrinus is slightly larger than F. kansae, with larger scales and larger eyes. The fins of the breeding male become more red in color, whereas the male F. kansae develops a more yellow-orange fin color. [15]

Distribution

This species has a wide range, mostly in the central United States. Its native range is mostly within the Great Plains. It includes much of the Mississippi River drainage, parts of the Colorado and Brazos Rivers, and some areas in the Rio Grande region, especially the Pecos River. [16] Its distribution was influenced by Pleistocene changes in the geography of the local river systems, such as glaciation. [14] Many occurrences of the fish represent introductions, such as populations at Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah, the Fort Peck Reservoir in Montana, and several tributaries of the Colorado River in Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. Some occurrences may or may not be native. Fish introductions began in earnest around the 1930s. Most introductions occurred when plains killifish were used as bait by anglers and escaped into the wild to establish new populations. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Centrarchidae</span> Family of fishes

Centrarchidae, better known as sunfishes, is a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes, native only to North America. There are eight universally included genera within the centrarchid family: Lepomis, Micropterus, Pomoxis (crappies), Enneacanthus, Centrarchus, Archoplites, Ambloplites, and Acantharchus. A genetic study in 2012 suggests that the highly distinct pygmy sunfishes of the genus Elassoma are also centrarchids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mummichog</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluegill</span> Species of fish

The bluegill, sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and wetlands east of the Rocky Mountains. It is the type species of the genus Lepomis, from the family Centrarchidae in the order Perciformes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monogenea</span> Class of ectoparasitic flatworms

Monogeneans, members of the class Monogenea, are a group of ectoparasitic flatworms commonly found on the skin, gills, or fins of fish. They have a direct lifecycle and do not require an intermediate host. Adults are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both male and female reproductive structures.

<i>Lepomis</i> Genus of fishes

Lepomis or true sunfish is a genus of North American freshwater fish from the family Centrarchidae in the order Perciformes. The generic name Lepomis derives from the Greek λεπίς ("scale") and πῶμα. The genus' most recognizable type species is perhaps the bluegill.

<i>Fundulus</i> Genus of fishes

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orangespotted sunfish</span> Species of fish

The orangespotted sunfish is a North American species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. These fish are widely distributed across the middle and eastern United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the east, from the Great Lakes south into the Gulf Coast. The orangespotted sunfish is ecologically unique and thrives in turbid, shallow systems that have few predators and low oxygen contents. The species prefers vegetated areas in sluggish backwaters or lakes, and can also be found in turbid rivers. The orangespotted sunfish can extend its range in lower-quality waters, which is not characteristic to other sunfish. Orangespotted sunfish vary in total length and age for different river basin originations, but can be found to live four to seven years, and recorded lengths are up to 15 cm (5.9 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded killifish</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden topminnow</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redspotted sunfish</span> Species of fish

The redspotted sunfish, also known as a stumpknocker, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a sunfish from the family Centrarchidae which is native to the United States. The redspotted sunfish was previously considered to be a western subspecies of spotted sunfish but was distinguished as a separate species by Warren in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plains topminnow</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulf killifish</span> Species of fish

The Gulf killifish is one of the largest members of the genus Fundulus; it is capable of growing up to 7 inches (18 cm) in length, whereas the majority of other Fundulus reach a maximum length of 4 inches (10 cm). Therefore, F. grandis is among the largest minnows preyed upon by many sport fish, such as flounder, speckled trout, and red drum. Fundulus derives from the Latin meaning "bottom," and grandis means "large". The Gulf killifish is native to the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida and the eastern coast of Florida and the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. Threats to the survival of the Gulf killifish include extreme changes in salinity, changes in temperatures, and toxic events such as the hypoxic dead zone in Louisiana and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Gulf killifish is currently being used to test the effects of oil and oil dispersants on the physiology of marine species affected by these substances. This is significant to conservation biology, because with the continued extraction of oil and other natural resources from North American waters, it has become increasingly important to understand the risks and consequences in worst-case scenarios, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the lasting effects on the marine ecosystem.

<i>Fundulus pulvereus</i> Species of fish

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.

<i>Fundulus luciae</i> Species of fish

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.

Gyrodactylus turnbulli is an ectoparasite from the class Monogenea, is part of the phylum Platyhelminthes, and from the genus Gyrodactylus. It only requires one host to transmit an infection; however, since this parasite lacks oncomiracidium, it must rely on either the adult or subadult for spread of infection. Found in freshwater, this flatworm is commonly found on the gills and fins of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata. G. turnbulli was said to be host specific, but an experiment where parasitologists artificially infected guppies suggests that the parasite can infect a wider range of species. This ability is achievable by host switching, which promotes speciation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greengill sunfish</span> Hybrid fish

The greengill sunfish is sometimes referred to as hybrid sunfish or bluegill x green sunfish hybrid. It is a hybrid between a bluegill and green sunfish. They can sometimes be found in ponds, lakes, or streams where there is both bluegill and green sunfish. They are also stocked in some ponds as gamefish and as pets.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe.; Lyons, T.J. (2019). "Fundulus zebrinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T191315A129982415. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T191315A129982415.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Fundulus zebrinus" in FishBase. April 2019 version.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Fundulus zebrinus. NatureServe.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2011. Fundulus zebrinus. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rahel, F. J. and L. A. Thel. Plains Killifish (Fundulus zebrinus): A Technical Conservation Assessment. [ permanent dead link ] Prepared for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project. March 18, 2004.
  6. 1 2 Offill, K. R. (2003). Development and application of a bioenergetics model for the plains killifish (Fundulus zebrinus) and red river shiner (Notropis bairdi). Thesis. Texas Tech University.
  7. ↑ Nelson, S. M. and L. C. Keenan. (1992). Use of an indigenous fish species, Fundulus zebrinus, in a mosquito abatement program: A field comparison with the mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis. Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association 8:3 301-04.
  8. ↑ Lohr, S. C. and K. D. Fausch. (1996). Effects of green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) predation on survival and habitat use of plains killifish (Fundulus zebrinus). The Southwestern Naturalist 41(2) 155-60.
  9. ↑ Janovy, J. J. and E. L. Hardin. (1987). Population dynamics of the parasites in Fundulus zebrinus in the Platte River of Nebraska. J Parasit 73(4) 689-96.
  10. ↑ Janovy, J. J., et al. (1989). Salsuginus thalkeni n. sp. (Monogenea: Ancyrocephalidae) from Fundulus zebrinus in the South Platte River of Nebraska. J Parasit 75(3) 344-47.
  11. ↑ Poss, S. G. and R. R. Miller. (1983). Taxonomic status of the plains killifish, Fundulus zebrinus. Copeia 1 55-67.
  12. ↑ Echelle, A. A., et al. (1971). Diurnal periodicity of activities in the plains killifish, Fundulus zebrinus kansae. Proc Okla Acad Sci 51 3-7.
  13. ↑ Kreiser, B. R. (2001). Mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences support recognition of two cryptic species of plains killifish, Fundulus zebrinus and Fundulus kansae. The American Midland Naturalist 146(1) 199-209.
  14. 1 2 Kreiser, B. R., et al. (2001). Phylogeography of the plains killifish, Fundulus zebrinus. Evolution 55(2) 339-50.
  15. ↑ Hendrickson, D. A. and A. E. Cohen. Fundulus zebrinus. 2012. Fishes of Texas Project and Online Database. Texas Natural History Collection, Texas Natural Science Center, University of Texas at Austin.
  16. 1 2 Fuller, P. 2013. Fundulus zebrinus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
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