Lucania goodei

Bluefin killifish
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Fundulidae
Genus: Lucania
Species: L. goodei
Binomial name
Lucania goodei
(Jordan, 1880)

The bluefin killifish, Lucania goodei, is a fish of the genus Lucania and is a United States native fish mostly distributed throughout the southeast, but has been introduced to California, and populations in Texas and North Carolina are introduced.[2] Other common names for the fish include Florida blue dace.[3]

Distribution

The bluefin killifish is found throughout Florida, except for its panhandle, where it is not found west of the Choctawhatchee River. It is found in the Chipola River drainage of southeastern Alabama, and sporadically along the Atlantic coast up to central South Carolina.[4] It has been introduced to Texas, North Carolina, and California.

Description

Normally, the bluefin killifish can grow up to 2.9 cm,[4] but the maximum length recorded is 6 cm.[4] The maximum recorded age of the bluefin killifish is 2 years.[4]

Ecology

Lucania goodei’ lives is heavily vegetated ponds and streams with little to no current. It is often found in spring habitats, and can also survive in moderate salinity, as well as low oxygen environments where it uses its upturned mouth to gulp air at the surface.[2] Otherwise, it swims well below the surface. It is not a seasonal fish, unlike some old world killifish [4]

References

  1. NatureServe. (2013). "Lucania goodei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 1 March 2012.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lucania goodei
  3. Halstead, Bruce. Tropical Fish (A Golden Guide). Golden Books. New York: 1989.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). "Lucania goodei" in FishBase. October 2014 version.