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Home/Species/ Least Killifish

Heterandria formosa

(Girard, 1859)

Least Killifish

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105916
Element CodeAFCNC03010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCyprinodontiformes
FamilyPoeciliidae
GenusHeterandria
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
"Populations in the northeast have lower genetic diversity than those to the south and west and show no isolation by distance" (Baer 1998).

The only other member of the genus occurs in Middle America (Lee et al. 1980).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2012-02-14
Change Date1996-09-20
Edition Date2012-02-14
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the lower southeastern North American Coastal Plain from the Cape Fear River drainage in extreme southeastern North Carolina to southeastern Texas (Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes heavily vegetated, standing and slow-flowing waters; weedy pond and stream margins, marshes; from fresh to brackish (about 30 ppt) water (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011).

Ecology

Populatio age structure may be significantly impacted through predation by GAMBUSIA HOLBROOKI on small HETERANDRIA (Schaefer et al., Copeia 1994:516-520).

Reproduction

See Scrimshaw (1944, Copeia:180-183) for information on reproduction.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaS5Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
LouisianaS3Yes
South CarolinaS3Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
MississippiS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Roadless Areas (1)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
References (18)
  1. Baer, C. F. 1998. Species-wide population structure in a southeastern U.S. freshwater fish, <i>Heterandria formosa</i>: gene flow and biogeography. Evolution 52:183-193.
  2. Bart, Henry L. (Tulane Museum of Natural History, Tulane University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI in February 2000.
  3. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  4. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Meffe, G. K., and F. F. Snelson, Jr., editors. 1989. Ecology and evolution of livebearing fishes (Poeciliidae). Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. 453 pp.
  8. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  9. Mettee, Maurice. F. "Scott" (Icthyologist, Geological Survey of Alabama). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. June 1997.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.