Fundulus heteroclitus

Fundulus heteroclitus
Mummichog – Fundulus heteroclitus
FamilyScientific NameAuthorYearCommon Name
FundulidaeFundulus heteroclitus(Linnaeus)1766Mummichog

Fundulus heteroclitus

Unique Characters: Blunt head. Males with dark and silvery vertical bars on side of body, silvery dots between bars. Dorsal-fin soft rays 10-12. Dark spot on body at dorsal fin origin. 9-10 gill rakers. Jaw teeth in more than a single row. 9 or more scale rows between origin of dorsal fin and origin of anal fin. Dorsal fin origin over or anterior to anal fin origin. Mouth level with, or slightly above, a horizontal line drawn through the middle of the eye. Origin of dorsal fin distinctly anterior to origin of anal fin, more pronounced in males.

Similar Species:

Spotfin Killifish Fundulus luciae

Striped Killifish
Fundulus majalis

Marsh Killifish Fundulus confluentus

Fundulus luciae
Spotfin Killifish – Fundulus luciae
Fundulus majalis
Striped Killifish – Fundulus majalis – Female
Fundulus confluentu
Marsh Killifish – Fundulus confluentus – Male

Spotfin Killifish Fundulus luciae. Distinct, dark predorsal median stripe. Male with ocellated black spot in dorsal fin. Jaw teeth in more than a single row. 9 or more scale rows between origin of dorsal fin and origin of anal fin. Dorsal fin origin distinctly behind origin of anal fin. Dorsal-fin soft rays 8-11.

Striped Killifish Fundulus majalis. Long snout. Female with black stripes on sides, males with vertical bars. Dorsal-fin soft rays 14-15. Jaw teeth in more than a single row. 9 or more scale rows between origin of dorsal fin and origin of anal fin. Dorsal fin origin over or anterior to anal fin origin. Mouth distinctly below a horizontal line drawn through the middle of the eye.

Marsh Killifish Fundulus confluentus. Pale spot on body at dorsal fin origin. Five gill rakers. Males with numerous dark vertical bars on side of the body; female with ocellated black spot in dorsal fin. Jaw teeth in more than a single row. 9 or more scale rows between origin of dorsal fin and origin of anal fin. Dorsal fin origin over or anterior to anal fin origin. Dorsal-fin soft rays 10-15. Mouth level with, or slightly above, a horizontal line drawn through the middle of the eye. Origin of dorsal fin more or less over origin of anal fin.

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