Posted 15 July 2008 - 07:05 AM

Can anyone positively ID this fish? I'm guessing Gambusia affinis (Western Mosquito fish)
I caught a few in the Medina River near Medina, TX this weekend.

Thanks in advance..
Jason

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 10:05 AM

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 10:45 AM

Looks like Western/Eastern Mosquito fish (not sure which one). However lots of endangered gambusia species are home to Texas and if you cannot positively ID's these gambusia then just take a picture of them then leave them in their waterways instead of take them to home.

I figured I'd get a response like this. I know enough to know that the gambusia spps. that are listed as endangered or threatened in TX are not found in the location that I found these. I do however have some locations nearby that do have the threatened spps. such as San Felipe Springs, the Devils River, and (a little futher away) Balmorea in W. Texas. With a few exceptions, the Gambusia spps. that are endangered here that are endangered due to limited range and threatened environments (springs, caves, very small water bodies, etc.) The Medina River is not such a location. I have seen no indication at all in any literature that any endangered gambusia spps. are found in the Medina River. If you can find any such notations, I would be happy to entertain your caution.
I have access to many private Ranches in the Texas hill Country that have isolated springs and caves in which I have found oddball fish spps. Some, I am guessing are un-described gambusia so I leave them alone. These springs and caves are isolated, the Medina River is not. On that note, the below picture is of a salamader that I found in one of the aforementioned springs. It comes from a cave, runs for about 25 yards and disappears back into the ground. From what I understand, these salamanders are an un-described Eurycea subspecies. In this case, I did take its picture where I found it and left it there.

Thats 4 inches underwater by the way.
Now, can anyone positively ID the gambusia spps. in the photo. I'm guessing you're right Butch. It's a mosquito fish.
Jason

Edited by jasonp, 15 July 2008 - 10:47 AM.

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 01:24 PM

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 06:26 PM

Did all the Gambusia spp. you collected have a black "splotch" near their caudal fin? It could just be black spot grub though. Looks very similar to the Western Mosquitofish that I've run in to.

Thats is exactly what threw me off. I can't find any photos of affinis with the black splotch. A few of the ones I caught had the spot but some didn't. The Spot Grub is a new one on me as well. Maybe I should have quarantined Thanks for the response.

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Posted 15 July 2008 - 08:24 PM

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Posted 20 July 2008 - 10:37 PM

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Posted 22 July 2008 - 05:09 AM

Wow, strange to see you on a non-herp related forum. Would love to see that Eurycea close up, as it doesn't look like any of the ones in the Edwards Plateau that I have seen.

Later, KW

Hola Kenny,
I know lots of herpers that also have an interest in the fish thing too. Must be somthing in our DNA
I showed it to a fisheries biologist here in Del Rio and according to him, it's a plain ole' affinis / baby gar food.

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Posted 22 July 2008 - 10:26 AM

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Posted 22 July 2008 - 10:28 AM

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Posted 22 July 2008 - 10:04 PM

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Posted 23 July 2008 - 12:23 AM

So, was the Eurycea one of the Del Rio ones?

Glad to see you still alive and kicking.

Later, KW

I'm glad to be alive and kicking too. That death stuff is way over-rated
The Eurycea spps was found just outside a cave north of Uvalde. As a crow flies maybe 80 miles from Del Rio.

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