Fundulus lineolatus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Superclassis/Classis: Actinopterygii
Classis/Subclassis: Actinopteri
Subclassis/Infraclassis: Neopterygii
Infraclassis: Teleostei
Megacohors: Osteoglossocephalai
Supercohors: Clupeocephala
Cohors: Euteleosteomorpha
Subcohors: Neoteleostei
Infracohors: Eurypterygia
Sectio: Ctenosquamata
Subsectio: Acanthomorphata
Divisio/Superordo: Acanthopterygii
Subdivisio: Percomorphaceae
Series: Ovalentaria
Superordo: Atherinomorphae
Ordo: Cyprinodontiformes
Subordo: Cyprinodontoidei

Familia: Fundulidae
Genus: Fundulus
Species: Fundulus lineolatus
Name

Fundulus lineolatus (Agassiz, 1854)

Syntypes: MCZ 1344 (2). On p. 15 of separate.
Type locality: Vicinity of Augusta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Synonyms

Zygonectes lineolatus Agassiz, 1854

Primary references

Agassiz, J.L.R. 1854. Notice of a collection of fishes from the southern bend of the Tennessee River, in the State of Alabama. American Journal of Science and Arts (Series 2) 17: 297–308, 353–365. BHL Reference page.

Links

Zygonectes lineolatus in Catalog of Fishes, Eschmeyer, W.N., Fricke, R. & van der Laan, R. (eds.) 2024. Catalog of Fishes electronic version, accessed on November 24, 2015.
Fundulus lineolatus – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Fundulus lineolatus in FishBase,
Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (eds.) 2024. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication, www.fishbase.org, version 02/2024.

The lined topminnow (Fundulus lineolatus) is a small fish in the genus Fundulus which is found in swamps and backwaters from southern Virginia to Lake Okeechobee.
Description

Fundulus is the Latin word for "bottom" and lineolatus is Latin for "having lines".[3]

The fish is silver with black bars and spots, with one of these black bars located underneath the eye, resembling a tear. These bars are only on a minority of the females. The "teardrop" underneath the eye is so prominent that it can be used to tell this species apart from all other topminnows. Some adults are known to have orange and red around their mouths. The maximum size of the topminnow is 1 1/2 inches.[3][4]

It was once believed that Fundulus lineolatus was a subspecies of Fundulus notti, the bayou topminnow. The species resembles the least killifish, which has a dark bar and spots, but has its anus located in its throat region. It also resembles the eastern mudminnow and the mosquitofish.[4]

The sperm and eggs are released into the water in spring and summer, the eggs of the line topminnow being 1.6 mm. While swimming close to the water's surface, the species eat vegetation, crustaceans, and larvae. The northern water snake preys on this fish, as well as another species from the genus, the blackstripe topminnow.[3][4][5]
Habitat

The fishes' habitats are streams, rivers with a small amount of currents or no currents, ponds, and swamps. Swamps include the Okefenokee Swamp. The species is so common and easy to capture that fishermen frequently use them as fishing bait.[3][4]

In 1999, a study by the journal Copeia reported that there may be a correlation between the dams of beavers and how close the fishes' habitat are to these dams.[6]
References

NatureServe (2013). "Fundulus lineolatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202386A18234697. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202386A18234697.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Fudulus lineolatus" in FishBase. April 2019 version.
C. Marcy, Barton (2005). Fishes Of The Middle Savannah River Basin. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820325354. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
Laerm, Joshua; Freeman, B. J. (2008). Fishes of the Okefenokee Swamp. University of Georgia Press. ISBN 9780820331355. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
Whitfield Gibbons, J.; E. Dorcas, Michael (2004). North American Watersnakes: A Natural History. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 187. ISBN 9780806135991. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
W. Snodgrass, Joel; K. Meffe, Gary (1999). "Habitat Use and Temporal Dynamics of Blackwater Stream Fishes in and Adjacent to Beaver Ponds". Copeia. 1999 (3): 628. doi:10.2307/1447595. JSTOR 1447595.