California killifish
Encyclopedia
The California killifish, Fundulus parvipinnis, is a type of killifish
(Fundulidae
) found along the coast of southern California
and Baja California
.
Like the other members of the family, California killifish are small, no more than about 11 cm in length. The body is rather thick and oblong in shape, with almost no narrowing of the caudal peduncle, and a squarish tail fin. The pelvic fins are small, while the anal fin is long, with 11-13 rays. They are olive-green above, and a yellowish brown below; during breeding season, the back become dark brown, while the belly and paired fins become bright yellow.
They are coastal fish
, occurring in shallow bays, estuaries, marsh
es, and the lower parts of streams from Morro Bay south to Magdalena Bay
in central Baja California. Between Goleta Slough
and the Tijuana River
they occur almost continuously, the frequency of wetlands being sufficient to allow free movement. They tolerate a wide range of salinities, oxygen levels, and pollution.
The diet consists of a variety of both benthic and plankton
ic invertebrates, anything from snails to crustaceans to insects, often found by foraging through areas of vegetation flooded by high tides.
This species and the Baja killifish F. limi are the only members of Fundulus on the west coast of the continent, and are distinct from the rest of the genus, which is limited to the east coast. It has been suggested that they may form a separate genus.
Killifish
A killifish is any of various oviparous cyprinodontiform fish . Altogether, there are some 1270 different species of killifish, the biggest family being Rivulidae, containing more than 320 species...
(Fundulidae
Fundulidae
Fundulidae is the family of topminnows and North American killifishes. The 46 species are native to North America as far south as Yucatan, and to the islands of Bermuda and Cuba, occurring in both freshwater and marine environments....
) found along the coast of southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
.
Like the other members of the family, California killifish are small, no more than about 11 cm in length. The body is rather thick and oblong in shape, with almost no narrowing of the caudal peduncle, and a squarish tail fin. The pelvic fins are small, while the anal fin is long, with 11-13 rays. They are olive-green above, and a yellowish brown below; during breeding season, the back become dark brown, while the belly and paired fins become bright yellow.
They are coastal fish
Coastal fish
Coastal fish, also called offshore fish or neritic fish, are fish that inhabit the sea between the shoreline and the edge of the continental shelf. Since the continental shelf is usually less than 200 metres deep, it follows that pelagic coastal fish are generally epipelagic fish, inhabiting the...
, occurring in shallow bays, estuaries, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es, and the lower parts of streams from Morro Bay south to Magdalena Bay
Magdalena Bay
Bahía Magdalena is a 50 km long bay in Comondú Municipality along the western coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur. It is protected from the Pacific Ocean by the sandy barrier islands of Isla Magdalena and Isla Santa Margarita....
in central Baja California. Between Goleta Slough
Goleta Slough
The Goleta Slough is an area of estuary, tidal creeks, tidal marsh, and wetlands near Goleta, California, USA. It primarily consists of the filled and unfilled remnants of the historic inner Goleta Bay about 8 miles west of Santa Barbara...
and the Tijuana River
Tijuana River
The Tijuana River is an intermittent river, 120 mi long, on the Pacific coast of northern Baja California in Mexico and southern California in the United States.-Location:...
they occur almost continuously, the frequency of wetlands being sufficient to allow free movement. They tolerate a wide range of salinities, oxygen levels, and pollution.
The diet consists of a variety of both benthic and plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
ic invertebrates, anything from snails to crustaceans to insects, often found by foraging through areas of vegetation flooded by high tides.
This species and the Baja killifish F. limi are the only members of Fundulus on the west coast of the continent, and are distinct from the rest of the genus, which is limited to the east coast. It has been suggested that they may form a separate genus.