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Umbra pygmaea

(DeKay, 1842)

Eastern Mudminnow

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102006
Element CodeAFCHC03020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderEsociformes
FamilyUmbridae
GenusUmbra
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
Most closely related to U. limi; third member of the genus occurs in Europe (Lee et al. 1980).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-10-24
Change Date1996-09-13
Edition Date2024-10-24
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2024)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
This species is endemic to the eastern United States where it is widespread and common. The population is stable and no major rangewide threats are known.
Range Extent Comments
This species is found in lowland river systems along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States from southeastern New York (including Long Island) south to the St. Johns River drainage in northeast Florida, and west to the Aucilla River drainage in Florida and Georgia (Page and Burr 2011). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2024) records in the native range from 2004-2024, range extent is estimated to be 457,368 km².
Occurrences Comments
Applying a 3 km separation distance to GBIF (2024) records in the native range from 2004-2024, 372 occurrence are estimated.
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats may exist, but no major rangewide threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A small fish (to 11 cm total length) with a long slender body (cylindrical in front, compressed at rear), cycloid scales, one dorsal fin, no fin spines, and the dorsal and anal fins far back on the body; pelvic fins are small and abdominal; a black bar is present on the caudal fin base; lateral line is absent; dorsal fin origin is far anterior to anal fin origin; caudal fin is rounded; pelvic fins have 6-7 rays; pectoral fins have 11-16 rays; back and sides have 10-14 dark brown stripes with pale interspaces (Page and Burr 1991).

Habitat

Quiet, mud-bottomed, often heavily vegetated streams, sloughs, swamps, and ponds, particularly along margins, over sand, mud, and debris (Panek 1981, Page and Burr 1991). Spawning sites probably are similar to those of U. limi.

Ecology

Hybridizes with U. limi in the tidal portion of the Hudson River (Schmidt and Daniels 2006).

Reproduction

Individuals typically become sexually mature by age 2 (Kuehne and Olden 2014). Adults migrate to shallow spawning sites where males court females and nests are built in cavities in algae, under loose rocks, in depressions in sand, or scattered (Kuehne and Olden 2014). Older females can produce as many as 2,168 eggs (Panek and Weis 2012).
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLAND
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
PennsylvaniaS4Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
New YorkS3Yes
MarylandS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
FloridaS3Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
South CarolinaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (3)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Natural Area WsaOsceola National Forest2,543
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Catfish Lake South - BCroatan National Forest172
References (25)
  1. Alderman, John (NC Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. February 2000.
  2. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  4. 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.
  5. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  6. Kuehne, L. M., and J. D. Olden. 2014. Ecology and conservation of mudminnow species worldwide. Fisheries 39(8): 341-351.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. McIninch, Stephen P. (Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2001.
  10. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 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. Panek, F. M. 1981. The life history and ecology of the eastern mudminnow, <i>Umbra pygmaea</i>, with notes on ecological and zoogeographic relationships with the central mudminnow, <i>Umbra limi</i>. Dissertation Abstracts 42(04): 1351-1352.
  17. Panek, F. M. and J. S. Weis. 2012. "Age, growth, and reproduction of the eastern mudminnow (<i>Umbra pygmaea</i>) at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, New Jersey. Northeastern Naturalist 19(2): 217-228. doi.: 10.1656/045.019.0206
  18. Panek, F. M. and J. S. Weis. 2013. Diet of the eastern mudminnow (<i>Umbra pygmaea</i> DeKay) from two geographically distinct populations within the North American native range. Northeastern Naturalist 20(1): 37-48. doi: 10.1656/045.020.0103
  19. Raesly, Richard L. (Frostburg State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  20. R. E. Schmidt, and R. A. Daniels. 2006. Hybridization in Umbridae in the Hudson River, New York, with Designation of Neotypes for <i>Umbra limi</i> and <i>Umbra pygmaea</i>. Zootaxa 1113: 1–20.
  21. 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.
  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. Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
  24. Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
  25. Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.