Eastern Mudminnow

COMMON NAME: Eastern Mudminnow.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Umbra pygmaea.

DESIGNATION: Coldwater.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Originally from the eastern seaboard of the USA from New York to Florida. There are a few introduced populations in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

SIZE: 7.5 cm (3 in).

WATER PREFERENCES: Extremely wide tolerance of water and temperature conditions (though not tropical temperatures).

This species is even reported to have survived being frozen solid for a time. It also tolerates slow oxygen levels.

DIET: All foods, particularly bottom-dwelling live foods.

BREEDING: Eggs are deposited in a depression or cave and are guarded by the female.

DESCRIPTION: U. pygmaea IS apeaceful, retiring fish. Other species of Umbra are: U. krameri, the European Mudminnow, and U. limi, the Central Mudminnow.

Eastern Mudminnow Information

• In wild the fish grows up to the size of 11.5 cms while the female breeds grow to a larger size of up to 15 cms.
• The fish is a non migratory fresh water fish and mainly thrives in water having a Ph range in between 6.0 and 6.5. while the dH level ranging from 3 to 8.
• The natural habitat of the fish extends from 42°N to 30°N where the temperature of the waters vary from 4°C to 23°C.
• The natural distribution of the fish consist of North America, Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the south eastern part of New York which includes Long Island. The fish is also found in the regions of the St.Johns River and west of the Aucilla River of Florida, Georgia and the United States.
• The fish is devoid of dorsal spines and anal spines. It has about 14 to 15 dorsal soft rays and 8 to 11 anal soft rays.
• The body of the fish is robust and thick. The body structure is compressed with conic shaped but blunt head, short snout of almost the size of the diameter of the eye of the fish. The moderately sized mouth of the fish has short jaws with slight mandible protrusions at the upper jaw tip. The Gill rakers of the fish are short and exist in several numbers. The caudal ray is rounded and is about 18 to 20 rays. The basic pigmentation of the fish consists of yellowish green stripped by 10 to 12 dark lines. One dark stripe passes through the eyes, another through the basicaudal region and a pale strip running through the lower jaw region.