Fundulus lineolatus (Agassiz, 1854)

Etymology

The scientific name Fundulus lineolatus comes from Latin: Fundulus means 'bottom', and lineolatus means 'having lines'.

Body Coloration

This fish is silver with black bars and spots, including one black bar under the eye that looks like a tear. Only a minority of females have these bars.

Species Identification Marking

The prominent teardrop marking under the eye can be used to distinguish this species from all other topminnows. Some adult individuals have orange and red coloring around their mouths.

Maximum Size

The maximum recorded size of this topminnow is 1 1/2 inches.

Taxonomic History

It was once thought that Fundulus lineolatus was a subspecies of Fundulus notti, the bayou topminnow.

Similar Species Distinction

This species resembles the least killifish, which also has a dark bar and spots, but the least killifish has its anus located in the throat region. It also resembles the eastern mudminnow and mosquitofish.

Reproductive Period

Sperm and eggs are released into the water during spring and summer.

Egg Size

The eggs of the lined topminnow measure 1.6 mm.

Feeding Habits

While swimming near the water surface, this species feeds on vegetation, crustaceans, and larvae.

Known Predators

Predators of this fish include the northern water snake, and it shares this predator with another species from the same genus, the blackstripe topminnow.

Habitat Range

This fish lives in streams, rivers with low or no current, ponds, and swamps, including the Okefenokee Swamp.

Human Use

The species is very common and easy to catch, so fishermen often use it as fishing bait.

Beaver Dam Habitat Correlation

In 1999, a study published in the journal Copeia reported that there may be a correlation between beaver dams and the proximity of this species' habitat to these dams.