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Home/Species/ Banded Killifish

Fundulus diaphanus

(Lesueur, 1817)

Banded Killifish

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104841
Element CodeAFCNB04060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCyprinodontiformes
FamilyFundulidae
GenusFundulus
COSEWICPS:SC,NAR
Other Common Names
Fondule barré (FR)
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
Two subspecies: DIAPHANUS and MENONA. 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 Date2015-08-18
Change Date1996-09-20
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
Range includes Atlantic Slope drainages from the Peedee River, South Carolina, north to the Maritime Provinces and Newfoundland; St. Lawrence-Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to Manitoba, south to southern Pennsylvania, northern Illinois, and northeastern Nebraska (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 quiet waters of lakes, ponds, and sluggish streams, usually over sand, gravel, or detritus-covered bottom where there are patches of submerged aquatic plants; schools tend to stay in shallows in summer; this species also often occurs in estuaries (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). Eggs are released in clusters, attach by filaments to plants in quiet weedy pools (Scott and Crossman 1973).

Ecology

Forms schools. See Weisburg (1986) for a discussion of competition and coexistence among this and other FUNDULUS species.

Reproduction

Spawns in late spring and summer. Eggs hatch in about 11-12 days. Sexually mature at age II in some localities (Becker 1983). On the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, hybrids of F. DIAPHANUS and F. HETEROCLITUS are unisexual diploid gynogens; sperm from males probably is required to stimulate embryogenesis (Dawley et al. 2000).
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ConnecticutS4Yes
South DakotaS1Yes
North DakotaS3Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
WisconsinS3Yes
IowaS2Yes
South CarolinaS1Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
MarylandS5Yes
IndianaS4Yes
MichiganS4Yes
KentuckySNANo
IllinoisS3Yes
West VirginiaS2Yes
MaineS5Yes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
OhioS4Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
Rhode IslandS3Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
OregonSNANo
New YorkS5Yes
New HampshireS4Yes
DelawareS4Yes
VermontS4Yes
GeorgiaSNANo
MinnesotaSNRYes
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
New BrunswickS5Yes
QuebecS5Yes
Island of NewfoundlandS3Yes
OntarioS5Yes
Prince Edward IslandS5Yes
ManitobaS2Yes
Nova ScotiaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

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Roadless Areas (1)
New Hampshire (1)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
References (35)
  1. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
  2. Cashner, R. C., J. S. Rogers, and J. M. Grady. 1992. Phylogenetic studies of the genus <i>Fundulus</i>. Pages 421-437 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  3. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  4. Cox, Kenneth M. (District Fisheries Biologist, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  5. Daniels, Robert (Biological Survey, New York State Museum). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
  6. Dawley, R. M., A. M. Yeakel, K. A. Beaulieu, and K. L. Phiel. 2000. Histocompatibilty analysis of clonal diversity in unisexual hybrids of the killifishes <i>Fundulus heteroclitus</i> and <i>Fundulus diaphanus</i>. Canadian Journal of Zoology 78:923-930.
  7. Eaton, J. G. and P. T. Frame. 1965. An apparent extension of the range of the Eastern Banded Killifish, <i>Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus</i> (Lesueur), into southwestern Ohio. Ohio Journal of Science 65(4):203-204.
  8. Fago, D. 2000. Relative abundance and distribution of fishes in Wisconsin. Fish Distribution Database to year 2000. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
  9. Halliwell, David B. (Maine Department of Environmental Protection). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
  10. Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.
  11. Hartel, Karsten E. (Dept. of Ichthyology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  12. Houston, J. 1990. Status of the banded killifish, <i>Fundulus diaphanus</i>, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 104:45-52.
  13. Huver, C. W. 1973. A bibliography of the genus <i>Fundulus</i>. G. K. Hall and Company, Boston. v + 138 pp.
  14. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  15. Krueger, William (Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. February and March 2000.
  16. 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.
  17. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. Parenti, L. R. 1981. A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha). Bulletin of the American Museum Natural History 168:335-557.
  24. Pearson, W. D. and B. J. Pearson. 1989. Fishes of the Ohio River. Ohio Journal of Science 89(5):181-187.
  25. Raesly, Richard L. (Frostburg State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  26. 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.
  27. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
  28. Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
  29. Smith, P. W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
  30. Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.
  31. Trautman, M. B. 1981. The fishes of Ohio. Second edition. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, Ohio. 782 pp.
  32. Weisburg, S. B. 1986. Competition and coexistence among four estuarine species of <i>Fundulus</i>. American Zoologist 26:249-257.
  33. Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  34. Whitworth, W. R., P. L. Berrien, and W. T. Keller. 1976. Freshwater fishes of Connecticut. Bulletin of the Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey 101. vi + 134 pp.
  35. Wiley, E.O. 1986. A study of the evolutionary relationships of <i>Fundulus</i> topminnows (Teleostei: Fundulidae). American Zoologist 26:121-130.