Freshwater Fishes of Texas: A Field Guide

Killifishes—Family Fundulidae

11 Golden Topminnow Fundulus chrysotus (Gunther, 1866) RANGE: Lavaca River basin northeast to the Sabine River basin. HABITAT: Swamps and sloughs as well as rivers and creeks in pools and backwaters. CHARACTERISTICS: (1) Lateral region with gold spots. (2) Dark, vertical bars (8–11) on lateral region; absent on juveniles and females. (3) Lateral line absent; 30–35 lateral series scales. (4) Median fins with red-brown spots, breeding and large males only. (5) Posterior portion of lateral region speckled with red-brown dots, breeding males only. DIMENSIONS: Up to 3 in (76 mm). FIN COUNTS: Anal soft fin rays 9–11; dorsal soft fin rays 7–9. COLORATION: Dorsal region yellow-green; lateral region yellowgreen with dark, vertical bars and gold spots. Breeding male golden topminnows have red-brown spots on posterior portion of lateral region and median fins. Females and juveniles are olive-green or gray with small, bluish spots. Females can have faint horizontal stripes on lateral region. Killifishes—Family Fundulidae Golden topminnow, Fundulus chrysotus , male, 3 in (76 mm) Golden topminnow, Fundulus chrysotus, female, 2.3 in (58 mm) 10 Starhead Topminnow Fundulus dispar (Agassiz, 1854) RANGE: Brazos River basin northward to the Red River basin. HABITAT: Standing water and creeks in pools and backwaters. CHARACTERISTICS: (1) Snout broad and round. (2) Mouth large. (3) Dark subopercle bars, may be absent. (4) Golden spot on top of head. (5) Red or brown spots forming horizontal stripes on lateral region. (6) Dark, vertical bars (3–13) on juveniles and males; may be absent. DIMENSIONS: Up to 3 in (76 mm). FIN COUNTS: Anal soft fin rays 10–12; dorsal soft fin rays 6–8; pectoral soft fin rays 12–14; pelvic soft fin rays 6. COLORATION: Head with dark subopercle bar. Dorsal region yellow -green with golden spot on top of head; lateral region silvery with 3–13 dark, vertical bars on juveniles and males; red spots forming lateral stripes on males, with brown spots forming lateral stripes on females. Median fins of males with red spots. Killifishes—Family Fundulidae Starhead topminnow , Fundulus dispar , 2.5 (64 mm) 11 Gulf Killifish Fundulus grandis Baird and Girard, 1853 RANGE: Brazos, Rio Grande, and Pecos river basins. HABITAT: Usually found in coastal areas, but also found in freshwater rivers and lakes as a result of migrations from costal habitats and bait bucket introductions. CHARACTERISTICS: (1) Lower jaw projects above upper jaw. (2) Head short, blunt, and wide. (3) vertical bars on lateral region of males weakly defined but notable posteriorly. (4) Yellow spots scattered on body, males only. (5) Median fins with pale spots, males only. (6) Nape unscaled to partly scaled. (7) Pigmentation forms dark blotch on last dorsal fin ray; may be absent. DIMENSIONS: Up to 6 in (152 mm). FIN COUNTS: Anal soft fin rays 10–12; dorsal soft fin rays 11. COLORATION: Males with dark green silvery vertical bars and yellow spots posteriorly; ventral region orange-yellow. Males have a dark blotch on posterior portion of dorsal fin. The median fins have pale spots, and the anterior portion of the pelvic fins are yellow. Females are olive above and light olive below without bars or spots. Killifishes—Family Fundulidae Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis , 5 in (127 mm) 1 Blackstripe Topminnow Fundulus notatus (Rafinesque, 1820) RANGE: San Antonio River basin north and eastward to the Red River basin. HABITAT: Lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks. CHARACTERISTICS: (1) Mouth terminal. (2) Scattered dark spots on dorsal and upper lateral region that may be indistinct or absent; spots not as dark as midlateral stripe. (3) Dark middorsal stripe anterior to dorsal fin base. (4) Black midlateral stripe from tip of snout onto caudal fin; crossbars on stripe, males only. (5) Lateral line absent ; 29–37 lateral series scales. (6) Median fins with dark spots; not notable on females. DIMENSIONS: Up to 3.8 in (97 mm). FIN COUNTS: Anal soft fin rays 11–13; dorsal soft fin rays 8–12; pectoral soft fin rays 14–15; pelvic soft fin rays 6. COLORATION: Head with silverwhite spot dorsally. Dorsal region has green middorsal stripe anterior to dorsal fin base with scattered dark spots on dorsal and upper lateral region; lateral region has black midlateral stripe from tip of snout onto caudal fin; ventral region white to yellow. Dark spots on median fins. COMMENTS: The blackstripe topminnow can be distinguished from the blackspotted topminnow in that the...