Fish that leave the water is something considered synonymous with exotics. From invasive walking catfish, to unusual aquarium imports such as climbing perch (of which I seen a cool youtube video which showed coordinated school movement on land), to mudskippers. But other than the occasional eel traveling around a dam on a rainy night, This doesn't happen in north america right? Well, I did think that, but now I know I am wrong.
I noticed info on this species, the Mangrove Killifish, in field guides but never looked it up as it seemed to be just another topminnow. An article in tropical aquarium fish pointed out how odd they are. They can leave the water and climb into rotten logs, holes in trees, and insect burrows. According to wikipedia they can survive out of the water in these damn environments for up to sixty six days.
They range as far north as Florida making them a US native.
A fish out of water
Started by
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
, Sep 05 2011 08:48 PM
13 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_EricaWieser_*
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Posted 05 September 2011 - 09:05 PM
I had read about that fish but didn't realize that it was found in the US. Neat.
Also, it's self fertilizing, right? (source: http://www.newscient...e-in-trees.html ) That article says it's the only known hermaphrodite vertebrate to be self fertilizing, but I think I read once that some mollies do that, too. Anyway, really weird fish. I can't imagine how freaked out I'd be if I split open a log and found hundreds of them in there. Odd.
Also, it's self fertilizing, right? (source: http://www.newscient...e-in-trees.html ) That article says it's the only known hermaphrodite vertebrate to be self fertilizing, but I think I read once that some mollies do that, too. Anyway, really weird fish. I can't imagine how freaked out I'd be if I split open a log and found hundreds of them in there. Odd.
Edited by EricaWieser, 05 September 2011 - 09:07 PM.
#3
Guest_fundulus_*
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Posted 05 September 2011 - 09:17 PM
In some of the cays off the Honduras coast, the local rastas call these fish "lizards" because they live in mud holes above the water line. And if it's not a fish in the mud, it must be a lizard, yes? Bruce Turner at Virginia Tech has a hilarious story about arguing with the rastas about whether or not the animals is a fish or a lizard.
#4
Guest_Yeahson421_*
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Posted 06 September 2011 - 03:58 PM
Here is a video of climbing perch moving in a school across land, but I'm not sure if this was the one you were talking about:
Also, I heard a story about a farmer who was checking for damage on his land a few days after a flash flood and found a live Bowfin sitting in the field, however I'm not quite sure how true that is.
Also, I heard a story about a farmer who was checking for damage on his land a few days after a flash flood and found a live Bowfin sitting in the field, however I'm not quite sure how true that is.
#8
Guest_Doug_Dame_*
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Posted 06 September 2011 - 07:56 PM
FYI, the mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, aka "rivulus", has been a state-listed as a Species Of Special Concern in Florida for some time.
In June of this year, the Commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a new listing recommendation prepared by staff, which included a recommendation that the mangrove killifish be de-listed, as the new biological status review for this species did not indicate it was in jeopardy.
However ... the status changes don't become official until species mgmt plans for ALL the species on the new list are completed, which could take 0/1/2 years. (Seems odd that officially de-listing a species has to wait until the mgmt plans for all the old and new listed species is done, but that's the way FWC's press releases have described the process.)
In June of this year, the Commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a new listing recommendation prepared by staff, which included a recommendation that the mangrove killifish be de-listed, as the new biological status review for this species did not indicate it was in jeopardy.
However ... the status changes don't become official until species mgmt plans for ALL the species on the new list are completed, which could take 0/1/2 years. (Seems odd that officially de-listing a species has to wait until the mgmt plans for all the old and new listed species is done, but that's the way FWC's press releases have described the process.)
#11
Guest_gzeiger_*
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Posted 07 September 2011 - 04:53 PM
Bowfin are tough. That could certainly be true. I found a live cod once just sitting in the shadow of a rock after the tide went out. I doubt he would have survived until he was waterborne again, but he was just fine when I picked him up and put him in a bucket.
#12
Guest_FirstChAoS_*
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Posted 08 September 2011 - 01:52 AM
FYI, the mangrove killifish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, aka "rivulus", has been a state-listed as a Species Of Special Concern in Florida for some time.
I never really got the concept of special concern. Threatened and Endangered are easy to understand, They mean the species is in danger of extinction if anything goes wrong and must be preserved.
But special concern? Their are legal to collect bait fish that are special concern. (Northern Red Bellied Dace in NH). Does special concern really imply anything?
#14
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Posted 11 September 2011 - 09:47 AM
Does special concern really imply anything?
The species of concern I've dealt with are generally declining due to dams. They are not bad off enough yet to be listed, but their numbers are definitely declining, and since the dams have only been up since the 50s, 60s, or 70s, and we are just now getting around to doing thorough population studies, we kind of put a flag on certain species that might be in trouble in the future do to our activities.
Basically, it's a good way to direct research towards fish that might be declining (ideally do to human activities) that we need to know more about, and possibly protect from further unnatural disturbance of habitat.
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