Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Fundulidae (Topminnows and killifishes)
Etymology: Fundulus: Latin, fundus = bottom; a peculiar name for a topminnow, coined for a bottom species of Atlantic coast being "the abode of the fundulus mudfish" (Ref. 45335); catenatus: catenatus meaning chained (Ref. 10294).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic; non-migratory. Temperate; 15°C - 25°C (Ref. 2059); 40°N - 31°N
North America: USA: upper East Fork White River system in Indiana; upper Salt and Kentucky River drainages in Kentucky; upper Green, middle and lower Cumberland, and Tennessee River drainages; west of Mississippi River ; southwestern Mississippi in Mississippi and Gulf Slope drainages.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27139); common length : 16.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193)
Inhabits margins, pools and backwaters of creeks and small to medium rivers. Most commonly found in shallow sandy backwaters of clean rocky creeks. 18 cm max TL (Ref. 5723). Adult feeds on aquatic insect larvae and snails (Ref. 10294). Not a seasonal killifish. Is very difficult to maintain in aquarium (Ref. 27139).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Huber, J.H., 1996. Killi-Data 1996. Updated checklist of taxonomic names, collecting localities and bibliographic references of oviparous Cyprinodont fishes (Atherinomorpha, Pisces). Société Française d'Ichtyologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, 399 p. (Ref. 27139)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00724 (0.00286 - 0.01836), b=3.17 (2.98 - 3.36), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.2 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).