Jordanella floridae
Flagfish
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Cyprinodontiformes
Cyprinodontidae (Pupfishes)
Jordanella
Jordanella floridae (Flagfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Relatively short, moderately compressed, and deep bodied, with a moderately short head, first dorsal fin ray short and spinelike. Mouth is terminal, moderately small and oblique, with lower jaw projecting slightly beyond upper jaw. Jaw teeth are tricuspid, with middle cusp slightly longer than lateral cusps, and in single row. Pectoral fin is relatively long and has 14 to 16 rays. Dorsal fin originates slightly anterior to mid-distance between snout and caudal fin base and has 14 to 18 rays. Pelvic fin inserts anterior to end of dorsal fin base and has 6 rays. Anal fin has 11 to 13 rays. Caudal fin is slightly convex. Lateral scale rows number 25 to 27. Scale above pectoral fin base (humeral) is only slightly enlarged.
Color is olivaceous and slightly darker dorsally than ventrally, with flank orange or brassy. Pigment is concentrated along distal margin of scales, forming irregular stripes. Dark vertical bar is located below eye, and large black spot is located on midflank below origin of dorsal fin. Males have well-developed horizontal stripes resulting from concentration of pigment on distal section of scales. Juveniles have small, black, ocellated spot near posterior margin of dorsal fin and four or five dark vertical bands or saddles along upper flank.
Distribution
Western North Atlantic from the Florida Peninsula
Habitat Associations
Shallow water that is heavily vegetated
Biology
Maximum known size is 39 mm SL
In vegetated sloughs, ponds, lakes, and sluggish streams; enters brackish water. 6.5 cm max TL (Ref. 5723). In Guinness Book of Records as the fish with the fewest eggs (20 eggs are spawned over a period of several days) (Ref. 6472). Feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter (Ref. 7020). Not a seasonal killifish. Is easy to maintain in the aquarium (Ref. 27139).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (nesters); parental care: paternal. Males care for the eggs (Ref. 57667). Lays up to 100 eggs in the aquarium (Ref. 7020). The male does a 'T-dance' with a receptive female and the female lays her eggs over algal-covered rocks where they adhere by their sticky thread. In the laboratory, this was simulated by using a green orlon wool wrapped glass plate - males will continuously guard the eggs on this, fanning with their fins to keep eggs clean and aerated (D. Holdway, pers. com 2006).
IUCN Red List Status: N.E. (N.E.). Resilience: Low (Fec=100 (aquarium)).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial.
References
Jordan and Evermann 1896
Hubbs 1936
Rosen 1973
Lee et al. 1980
Page and Burr 1991
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr (1991) A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Huber, J.H. (1996) Killi-Data 1996. Updated checklist of taxonomic names, collecting localities and bibliographic references of oviparous Cyprinodont fishes (Atherinomorpha, Pisces). Société Française d'Ichtyologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France, 399 p.
Comments On Jordanella floridae