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Amia calva

Linnaeus, 1766

Bowfin

GNRUnranked Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

GNRUnrankedGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1281382

Element CodeAFCCA01030

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderAmiiformes

FamilyAmiidae

GenusAmia

Other Common Names

Ruddy Bowfin (EN)

Concept Reference

Brownstein, C. D., D. Kim, O. D. Orr, G. M. Hogue, B. H. Tracy, M. W. Pugh, R. Singer, C. Myles-McBurney, J. M. Mollish, J. W. Simmons, S. R. David, G. Watkins-Colwell, E. A. Hoffman, and T. J. Near. 2022. Hidden species diversity in an iconic living fossil vertebrate. Biology Letters 18(11):20220395. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0395

Taxonomic Comments

Amia ocellicauda was previously synonymized with A. calva but recognized as a separate species by Brownstein et al. (2022).

Conservation Status

Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)

Range Extent Comments

This species occurs in the southeastern United States and is distributed from the Pearl River in Louisiana and Mississippi to the Florida Peninsula, and the rivers draining to the Atlantic Ocean in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia (Brownstein et al. 2022).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes swampy vegetated sloughs and backwaters of lowland streams and bays of warm clear lakes (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). One was found estivating in a moist chamber on land along a river floodplain (Scott and Crossman 1973). Eggs are laid in nests in areas cleared of vegetation or under logs, stumps, or bushes (Scott and Crossman 1973).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring. Eggs laid in nest made by male. Male guards eggs until hatching in 10 days. Male guards schooling larvae. Schools break up in about 2 months. Sexually mature in 3-5 years.

Palustrine Habitats

FORESTED WETLAND

Other Nations (1)

United StatesNNR

Province	Rank	Native
Mississippi	S5	Yes
Louisiana	SNR	Yes
Alabama	S5	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
New Jersey	SNA	No
Georgia	S5	Yes
Virginia	SNR	Yes
North Carolina	S5	Yes
Florida	S5	Yes
Maryland	SNA	Yes

Roadless Areas (1)

Florida (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Alexander Springs Creek	Ocala National Forest	2,954

References (8)

Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
Berry, F.H. 1955. Food of the mudfish, <i>Amia calva</i>, in Lake Newman, Florida, in relation to its management. Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences 18(1):69-75.
Brownstein, C. D., D. Kim, O. D. Orr, G. M. Hogue, B. H. Tracy, M. W. Pugh, R. Singer, C. Myles-McBurney, J. M. Mollish, J. W. Simmons, S. R. David, G. Watkins-Colwell, E. A. Hoffman, and T. J. Near. 2022. Hidden species diversity in an iconic living fossil vertebrate. Biology Letters 18(11):20220395. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0395
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.