Eastern mudminnow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern mudminnow |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Umbra
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| Species: |
pygmaea
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The eastern mudminnow (Umbra pygmaea) is a small freshwater fish. It belongs to a fish family called Umbridae. This fish naturally lives in eastern North America. However, it has also been brought to Europe by people. Eastern mudminnows mostly eat insect larvae and other tiny creatures without backbones that live in water.
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About the Eastern Mudminnow
The eastern mudminnow has a long, sturdy body. It can be brown or yellow-green. It has about 10 or more dark, thin stripes along its sides. These stripes are separated by lighter areas. Unlike many fish, it does not have a lateral line.
Its pelvic fin is located further back on its body, right under its dorsal fin. This fish can grow up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long.
Where Does It Live?
The eastern mudminnow is originally from eastern North America. You can find it from New York down to Florida, and as far west as Georgia.
It has also been introduced to Europe. There, you can find it in countries like France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Poland.
Its Home
This fish usually lives in calm or slow-moving water. It often prefers places with lots of plants, like heavily vegetated streams, swamps, and ponds.
The eastern mudminnow is very good at living in tough conditions. It can handle water with low pH (which means it's acidic), different temperatures, and even low oxygen levels. There's even a story about one surviving a whole night out of water! These fish can live in water with a pH from 3.5 to 8.1. They grow best in water with a pH of 4.5, which is usually harmful to most other fish.
What Does It Eat?
Eastern mudminnows are bottom-feeders. This means they look for food near the bottom of the water. They eat insect larvae, worms, small molluscs, and crustaceans.
How Does It Behave?
Eastern mudminnows are known to jump out of the water when they are feeding.
How They Reproduce
Eastern mudminnows have interesting ways of reproducing. The males take part in courtship rituals. These fish also build nests. They make their nests in places like inside clumps of algae, under loose rocks, or in small dips in the sand. Both the female and sometimes the male will guard the nests to protect the eggs.
During courtship, male mudminnows will shake their bodies and show off their fins to attract a female.
Protecting the Eastern Mudminnow
In North America
In North America, people are not very worried about the eastern mudminnow. Its population is generally stable.
In Europe
In Europe, the eastern mudminnow is seen as a possible invasive species. An invasive species is one that is not native to an area and can harm the local environment. This fish spread to six European countries in the 20th century. This was mostly because people kept them as pets in aquariums or used them in fish farms.
When eastern mudminnows spread in Europe, they can make it harder to protect other fish species, like the european mudminnow. The spread of the eastern mudminnow in Europe seems to be slow. It mostly happens when people move them, for example, by using them as live bait or for aquariums.
- Smith, L. C. The Inland Fishes of New York State. New York: The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 1985, pp. 242.
