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Fundulus chrysotus

(Günther, 1866)

Golden Topminnow

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100956
Element CodeAFCNB04030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCyprinodontiformes
FamilyFundulidae
GenusFundulus
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Often has been confused with F. cingulatus (Lee et al. 1980). Allozyme data indicate that Fundulus chrysotus is the sister to the "F. cingulatus "-F. luciae clade (Cashner et al. 1992). The genus Fundulus was removed from Atheriniformes:Cyprinodontidae and placed in Cyprinodontiformes:Fundulidae by Parenti (1981); pending confirmation based on other character suites, this change was not accepted in the 1991 AFS checklist (Robins et al. 1991). See Wiley (1986) for a study of the evolutionary relationships of Fundulus topminnows based on morphological characters. See Cashner et al. (1992) for an allozyme-based phylogenetic analysis of the genus Fundulus.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2012-01-30
Change Date1996-09-20
Edition Date2012-01-30
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
Secure in large range, primarily in southeastern U.S.; common in Florida, uncomon and localized elsewhere.
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the North American Coastal Plain from the Waccamaw River drainage, South Carolina, to southern Florida, west to the Trinity River drainage, eastern Texas; Former Mississippi Embayment north to Kentucky and Missouri; east of the Mississippi River, this species occurs mostly on the lower Coastal Plain (Page and Burr 2011). Also occurs in North Carolina (Wayne Starnes, pers. comm., 2006).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A small (to 7.5 cm) fish with a flattened head and back, upturned mouth, one dorsal fin far back on the body (origin behind anal fin origin), abdominal pelvic fins, large eyes, and no lateral line; sides are flecked with gold; large males usually have 8-11 green vertical bars (often faint) on each side; yellow-green above, white below; fins clear to yellow; breeding males have a red caudal fin and bright red to red-brown spots on the rear half of the body and on the dorsal, caudal, and anal fins; 7-9 dorsal rays; 9-11 anal rays; 30-34 lateral scales (Page and Burr 1991).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Differs from banded topminnow in having gold flecks on the sides, larger eyes, and a more posteriorly located dorsal fin; also, when present, vertical bars along side are fewer in number (8-11 vs. 12-15) and are restricted to large males rather than being present in both males and females. Differs from plains topminnow in lacking dark cross-hatching on blue-green back and upper side, and in having fewer dorsal rays (7-9 vs. 9-11), fewer anal rays (9-11 vs. 12-15), and fewer lateral scales (30-34 vs. 33-37); plains topminnow does not have dark bars on the sides or red spots on the body and fins. See Page and Burr (1991).

Habitat

Habitat includes swamps, sloughs, backwaters, and pools of ditches and slow-moving creeks and small to medium rivers; these topminnows usually are associated with heavy submergent aquatic vegetation (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011); occasionally they occurs in brackish water along the coast.

Reproduction

Eggs are laid a few at a time over a period of a week or more.
Palustrine Habitats
FORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ArkansasS3Yes
OklahomaS1Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
MississippiS4Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
TexasS2Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
MissouriS1Yes
TennesseeS1Yes
KentuckyS1Yes
North CarolinaS3Yes
South CarolinaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
References (26)
  1. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  2. Buchanan, Thomas M. (Department of Biology. Westark College AR). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  3. Burr, B. M., and M. L. Warren, Jr. 1986a. Distributional atlas of Kentucky fishes. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Scientific and Technical Series No. 4, Frankfort, Kentucky. 398 pp.
  4. Cashman, J. L., M. Peirce, and P. R. Krausman. 1992. Diets of mountain lions in southwestern Arizona. Southwestern Naturalist 37:324-326.
  5. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  6. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  7. Hoehn, Theodore S. and D. Gray Bass (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)). 2000a. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  8. Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
  9. Huver, C. W. 1973. A bibliography of the genus <i>Fundulus</i>. G. K. Hall and Company, Boston. v + 138 pp.
  10. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  11. Marcy, B. C., Jr., D. E. Fletcher, F. D. Martin, M. H. Paller, and M.J.M. Reichert. 2005. Fishes of the middle Savannah River basin. University of Georgia Press, Athens. xiv + 460 pp.
  12. Mettee, M. F., P. E. O'Neil, and J. M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama. 820 pp.
  13. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  14. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  15. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  16. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  17. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  18. Parenti, L. R. 1981. A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha). Bulletin of the American Museum Natural History 168:335-557.
  19. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  20. Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
  21. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  22. Rohde, Fritz (Icthyologist, North Carolina Division of Marine Fishes). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  23. Ross, S. T., and W. M. Brenneman. 1991. Distribution of freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. D-J Project Completion Report F-69. Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Parks. Jackson, Mississippi. 548 pp.
  24. Ross, Stephen T. (University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  25. Skelton, Christopher E. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Natural Heritage Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  26. Wiley, E.O. 1986. A study of the evolutionary relationships of <i>Fundulus</i> topminnows (Teleostei: Fundulidae). American Zoologist 26:121-130.