Mud sunfish

Mud sunfish
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Centrarchidae
Subfamily:	Lepominae
Genus:	Acantharchus ; T. N. Gill, 1864
Species:	A. pomotis
Binomial name
	Acantharchus pomotis; (S. F. Baird, 1855)
Synonyms
	Centrarchus pomotisBaird, 1855

Last updated February 24, 2023

The mud sunfish (Acantharchus pomotis) is a freshwater ray-finned fish, a sunfish from the family Centrarchidae, which widely distributed in the fresh waters along the Atlantic coast of North America, ranging from New York to Alabama. It is the only species in the genus Acantharchus.

Taxonomy

The mud sunfish was first formally described as Centrarchus pomotis by Spencer Fullerton Baird in 1855 with the type locality given as Cedar Swamp Creek, Beesley's Point, Cape May County, New Jersey and the Hackensack River, Rockland County, New York.^[3] In 1864, Theodore Nicholas Gill placed it in its own monospecific genus Acantharchus,^[4] the new genus name being a compound of the Greek words acanthus meaning "thorn" and asrcus meaning "anus".^[5]

Description

The mud sunfish is a small fish which can be distinguished from other members of its family by its possession of 5 or more spines in its anal fin, by having less than 15 gill rakers and in being the only species in its family which has cycloid scales.^[5] Its body is oblong and compressed with a large mouth and eyes.^[6] This species has rounded pectoral and caudal fins.^[5] which are clear through to dark olive in color and the anal fin has a black margin.^[6] It has a dark spot on the gill cover and the color of its body varies from brown on the back to yellowish tan on the flanks, while the juveniles are pale olive. There are 3-4 parallel dusky, horizontal stripes which extend from the cheek along the body.^[5] They can grow to a maximum total length of 21 centimetres (8.3 in), although 14.1 centimetres (5.6 in) is a more common total length.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

The mud sunfish is occurs along the eastern seaboard of the United States from southern New York south as far as northern Florida.^[6] The range of this species just extends into Alabama where they have been recorded in Beaver dam Creek in Washington County.^[5] There is a gap in their range in Maryland and Virginia, along the western part of Chesapeake Bay between the Susquehanna River and the Potomac River. It is not common anywhere in its range.^[1]

The mud sunfish is found in freshwaters which are stained dark with tannins. It has been recorded in slow-moving sluggish, well vegetated creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes and swamps. As its common name suggests it prefers substrates consisting of mud or detritus.^[6]

Breeding

This is a nocturnal species which lives at naturally low densities and as a result there have been few studies conducted on it. What has been discovered is that spawning appears to vary with latitude with gravid females being collected during the late spring and early summer in Delaware while further south, in North Carolina and Georgia spawning takes place during the early fall and late winter. They have a maximum life span of 8 years and sexual maturity is attained at one year old. Their diet is made up largely of invertebrates including amphipods, decapods, and beetles with some smaller fishes and Odonata.^[5]

Conservation

The IUCN has assessed the status of the mud sunfish as Least Concern and states that its population is stable.^[1] In individual states, however, there have been significant reductions in the species range. In New York the species was only recorded from the Hackensack River and it has not been collected from there since 1935.^[7] Its range has also significantly reduced in New Jersey, particularly in the northern and central parts of the state but it remains reasonable common and widespread in the Pinelands. In New Jersey the fish's decline is possibly a result of a number of reasons including land use and habitat changes and the introduction of non-native fish which predate on the mud sunfish and in this state it has been recommended that it be classified as a species of special concern. It has been extirpated from Pennsylvania.^[6]

Related Research Articles

Micropterus is a genus of North American freshwater fish collectively known as the black bass, belonging to the sunfish family Centrarchidae of order Perciformes. They are sometimes erroneously called "black trout", but the name trout more correctly refers to certain members of the salmonid family.

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 centarchids.

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.

The flier is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a sunfish from the family Centrarchidae which is endemic to the southern United States of America. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Centrarchus. A Second World War United States Navy submarine was named the USS Flier after this fish.

Ambloplites is a genus of North American freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. The type species is A. rupestris, the rock bass, and the species of this genus are known collectively as the rock basses.

The rock bass, also known as the rock perch, goggle-eye, red eye, and black perch, is a freshwater fish native to east-central North America. This red-eyed creature is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes and can be distinguished from other similar species by the six spines in the anal fin.

The shadow bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. It is endemic to southeastern United States of America.

The banded sunfish is a freshwater fish of the family, Centrarchidae. They can grow to 2–3 inches long. They are native to North America.

The redspotted hawkfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a hawkfish belonging to the family Cirrhitidae. It is found at depths from 2 to 46 m on tropical reefs in the Western Atlantic. The Redspotted Hawkfish is also found in the aquarium trade.

Bellator militaris, the horned sea robin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Triglidae, the sea robins. This fish is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

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

The blenny 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 a poorly known species which occurs in Alabama and Tennessee where it inhabits swift riffles.

The greenside 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 inhabits swift riffles in the eastern United States and southern Ontario.

The Coosa 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 the eastern United States.

The greenbreast 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 the southeastern United States, where it occurs in the systems of the Alabama River and the Black Warrior River. It is an inhabitant of streams and rocky riffles of creeks and smaller rivers. This species can reach a length of 7.9 cm (3.1 in), though most only reach about 5 cm (2.0 in).

<i>Branchiostegus japonicus</i> Species of fish

Branchiostegus japonicus, the horsehead tilefish, Japanese horsehead tilefish, red amadai or the red tilefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a tilefish belonging to the family Malacanthidae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean.

The nightfish is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a temperate perch from the family Percichthyidae which is endemic to southwestern Australia.

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 mm in total length. Its distribution extends along the U.S. east coast from Massachusetts to Georgia.

The Florida bass is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a black bass belonging to the sunfish family Centrarchidae of order Perciformes. It is found in the southeastern United States.

Lepominae is a subfamily of freshwater ray-finned fish, one of three subfamilies in the family Centrarchidae, the sunfishes.

Centrarchinae is a subfamily of freshwater ray-finned fish, one of three subfamilies in the family Centrarchidae, the sunfishes.

References

1 2 3 NatureServe (2013). "Acantharchus pomotis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T201938A2730636. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T201938A2730636.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Acantharchus pomotis" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Centrarchus pomotis". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 19 May 2020.
↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Acantharchus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 19 May 2020.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Mud Sunfish". Outdoor Alabama. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
1 2 3 4 5 Michael J. Davenport (2016). "Mud Sunfish". New Jersey Endangered and Threatened Species Field Guide. Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
↑ "Mud Sunfish Fact Sheet". New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Retrieved 19 May 2020.

"Acantharchus pomotis". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 5 December 2004.