Bayou topminnow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bayou topminnow |
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The bayou topminnow (scientific name: Fundulus nottii) is a small, interesting fish. It lives in the southeastern United States. This fish is also called the southern starhead topminnow. It belongs to a group of fish known as Fundulidae.
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What Does It Look Like?
The bayou topminnow is a small fish. The biggest one ever found was about 6.5 centimeters (2.6 inches) long. It has a flat head and a rounded tail fin. You might notice a dark, tear-shaped mark below its eye.
Color and Markings
Both male and female topminnows have an olive-green back. Their sides are white or silver, often with a shiny blue or silver look. They also have that special dark blue-green tear-drop mark under their eye.
- Males: During breeding season, males have black vertical stripes. They also have scattered red-brown spots.
- Females: Females have horizontal stripes along their sides.
All their fins usually have a reddish-brown color.
What Do Bayou Topminnows Eat?
Scientists don't know everything about the bayou topminnow's diet. But it is thought that they eat near the water's surface. They likely munch on tiny insects and other small creatures. They might also eat bits of plants or other organic matter floating in the water.
Where Do They Live?
Bayou topminnows like to live in clear lakes and ponds. They are often found near plants along the shore. You can also spot them in calm, slow-moving parts of large rivers. These areas include backwaters and overflow pools.
How Do They Reproduce?
Like other topminnows, this species likely lays its eggs in late spring or early summer. The peak time for them to have babies is usually in May or June. In some places, they might have a longer breeding season. Young bayou topminnows, called larvae, have not been fully described yet.
Where Can You Find Them?
The bayou topminnow lives in the southeastern United States. They are found from the Brazos River area in Texas. Their range extends east through the Gulf Coastal Plain and the Mobile Basin.
Who Discovered This Fish?
This fish was first described in 1854 by a scientist named Louis Agassiz. He named it Zygonectes notti. The fish was found in Mobile, Alabama. Agassiz named the fish after Josiah C. Nott. Nott was a surgeon and anthropologist who sent the first fish specimen to Agassiz from Mobile.
