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Lythrurus umbratilis coloration

Started by Guest_teleost_* , Jul 30 2008 10:13 AM

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7 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 30 July 2008 - 10:13 AM

Earlier this summer I sampled a tributary of the Kankakee river in Will county, Forked Creek. As usual I held a few bright male specimens for photos. I try not to handle the fish much prior to photos for obvious reasons and failed to notice the seemingly odd coloration of a particular male.

This first fish is what I'm used to seeing:
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The below fish seems odd in that it has subdued bars of blue on it's flanks and considerable black pigmentation between it's fin rays (dorsal, anal and pelvic).
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At first I just thought the second fish is odd in coloration but then I had to ask if perhaps the second fish is simply a male at peak color and I've missed this in previous sampling. Is this coloration odd or have I simply finally captured a male in peak color?

Both fishes were sampled and photographed from the same stream on the same day and are approximately the same size.

#2 Guest_mette_*

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Posted 30 July 2008 - 10:40 AM

At first I just thought the second fish is odd in coloration but then I had to ask if perhaps the second fish is simply a male at peak color and I've missed this in previous sampling. Is this coloration odd or have I simply finally captured a male in peak color?

Both fishes were sampled and photographed from the same stream on the same day and are approximately the same size.

I'm not familiar with this species, but my local Lythrurus sp. both show fairly prominent, irregular transverse bars. This trait may be lost in all but the most pigmented individuals of other species. So perhaps you caught the odd one. This is just speculation, of course, but the second fish certainly looks more like the Lythrurus I'm used to.

#3 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 30 July 2008 - 10:48 AM

The dorsal banding pattern makes that fish look more like L. fasciolaris. I suppose it's in the expected range of variation?

#4 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 30 July 2008 - 05:51 PM

The dorsal banding pattern makes that fish look more like L. fasciolaris. I suppose it's in the expected range of variation?

The second fish sure reminds of fascialoris as well. Will county is just outside of Chicago and well out of fascialoris range so I don't consider that as an option for ID. I guess it's just odd but wonder if this coloration is some type of temporary color for spawning. I've never kept/spawned them at home and therefore have no experience with what they look like immediately prior to copulation.

#5 Guest_ashtonmj_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 05:59 PM

Uland, I have some pictures somewhere of Lythrurus fasciolaris in TN. I would frequently see both patterns of color from the same school of fish. I also noticed that I would see the banding in what I assumed were males in spawning condition due to time of year. It was also induced during stressful times; capture, transfer, introduction to a tank.

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#6 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 06:15 PM

Interesting Matt. Thanks for the helpful info. I'll have to go to some state away from the great lakes and see this at home for myself someday. Those are some pretty shots you have there.

#7 Guest_farmertodd_*

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Posted 31 July 2008 - 07:38 PM

Yep, you've finally just caught one in "Peak Peak Super Dominant Style" (actually the second is still just shy - those blues will intensify even more, believe it or not). So yeah, the second fish is just firing the rest of his color. See also how much more the scale margins are intensified? I'm willing to bet the second fish feels a lot more sandpaper rough with all his tubercle pumped out as well