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Fundulus cingulatus Lifespan


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#1 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 16 January 2007 - 05:09 PM

Recently, I have had several Fundulus cingulatus that have died for no apparent cause. These have been in different tanks (and in some cases even different buildings... home vs office) with different tank mates, etc. So I got to thinking about these fish and looking at my records. Based on everything I can figure, these fellows (the last two were males and the only remaining fish I have is a male) were collected during Okefenokee II Return to the Swamp (see link below).

http://www.nanfa.org...303/oke0303.htm

So this was March of 2003. What is the expected lifespan of these fish?

I have a tendency to set up community tanks and have never seen any fry or intermediate sized fish, so I am faily sure that these are the original fish. If that's true, then these are fully four year old top minnow!

Is this out of the ordinary... or what is the expected lifespan for a Fundulus cingulatus?

MWolfe
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 16 January 2007 - 07:41 PM

Recently, I have had several Fundulus cingulatus that have died for no apparent cause. These have been in different tanks (and in some cases even different buildings... home vs office) with different tank mates, etc. So I got to thinking about these fish and looking at my records. Based on everything I can figure, these fellows (the last two were males and the only remaining fish I have is a male) were collected during Okefenokee II Return to the Swamp (see link below).

http://www.nanfa.org...303/oke0303.htm

So this was March of 2003. What is the expected lifespan of these fish?

I have a tendency to set up community tanks and have never seen any fry or intermediate sized fish, so I am faily sure that these are the original fish. If that's true, then these are fully four year old top minnow!

Is this out of the ordinary... or what is the expected lifespan for a Fundulus cingulatus?

MWolfe


I don't know precisely about cingulatus but it's been my experience with Fundulus species that they live 4, maybe 5, years. So your fish were just about on that mark. I have 3 large olivaceus that have been in one of my tanks for almost 3 years. They were full-size adults when captured so I think they're near the end of this mortal coil. But you never know.......

#3 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 16 January 2007 - 10:56 PM

Thanks Prez, I was hoping you would toss your rather expert opinion in. I really should have looked this up in a few reference books, but I figured you or someone else out there would have an answer. I have been really pleased with these fish (not all of which were fully adult size) and was a little disappointed to see two go in one week. That's what made me start to think about how old they were. Well, I still have one in a small tank in my office that seems to be doing very well, we will have to see how long he can make it on the longevity scale.

One thing that has really surpised me about these fish, is their intolerance for their own species. I have never been able to keep more than one (male that is) for any length of time unless the tank was planted so heavily they couldn't find each other. In a relatively open tank (so you can really see the fish, like in an office), they seem to take the Highlander view of life (... there can be only one!).

I also saw this with male golden ear topminnows (forgot my taxonomy for the moment). I got two males (one normal colored and one covered in black spots) and a female from a feeder tank a few years ago and the two males set to sparring (even though they were in a 75 gallon tank with alot of other minnows that they ignored) until there was only the black male. The male and female have been fine for a year or two now.

Anyway, thanks for the info...
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#4 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 16 January 2007 - 11:17 PM

I wonder If I'm doing something wrong...After the second year in my tanks (presumably third year of life) many of my fundulus seem to go blind and have a general ragged appearance. They withstand the cloudy eyes and ugly condition for an amazing amount of time (six plus months). Am I doing something to cause this condition?

Sorry for the derail

#5 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 16 January 2007 - 11:25 PM

No problem... not really a derail... we are talking about old fundulus... seems to fit... but I don't know if I have an answer... are these males, females? do they have tank mates? enough hiding places... Some of these old fellows that I had, looked great (coloration and such anyway). One seemed to get a small growth or something internal that gave him a funny looking bulge on his side right behind the gills, and e evetually was gone. But for the most part they just seem to get old and wear out.

What Fundulus speces are you keeping... I would think there might be some varioation between notatus-like fish and say catenatous-types that have to swim more and would seem to burn up more energy and a more still water swamp kind of fish like a cinulatus or lineatus or dispar type.

I wonder If I'm doing something wrong...After the second year in my tanks (presumably third year of life) many of my fundulus seem to go blind and have a general ragged appearance. They withstand the cloudy eyes and ugly condition for an amazing amount of time (six plus months). Am I doing something to cause this condition?

Sorry for the derail


Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#6 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 16 January 2007 - 11:50 PM

No problem... not really a derail... we are talking about old fundulus... seems to fit... but I don't know if I have an answer... are these males, females? do they have tank mates? enough hiding places... Some of these old fellows that I had, looked great (coloration and such anyway). One seemed to get a small growth or something internal that gave him a funny looking bulge on his side right behind the gills, and e evetually was gone. But for the most part they just seem to get old and wear out.

What Fundulus speces are you keeping... I would think there might be some varioation between notatus-like fish and say catenatous-types that have to swim more and would seem to burn up more energy and a more still water swamp kind of fish like a cinulatus or lineatus or dispar type.


Both males and females usually expire about the same time or at least degenerate at a similar time. I currently keep fundulus with other tankmates and mixed sexes (when possible). Always plenty of hiding available. My fish certainly just seem to wear out but a bit sooner than others.

I keep 10 types at the moment from dispar types & notatus types to catenatus & estuarine fundulus. Generally speaking the aggression levels are pretty low in the tanks.



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