Fish Folk

Here's a peek at one of my Banded Darters getting acquainted with his new Spawning mop...

The unwatched pot boils! Lots of golden fun in this Snakeskin Guppy colony. Hoping to throw select ones outdoors for the summer…

Woah! More, more, more… SRBDs anyone??!

(Continued!) South Dakota - Common Logperch (Percina caprodes) avg. 5 inches. Large member of the Darter family.

(Continued!) South Carolina - Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) 2-3 inches. These look like “wild guppies” in tiny drainage ditches, but beware! These little livebearers are fierce, nasty natives in a home aquarium. We brought back some females from a Carolina family vacation years ago… My little guy loved keeping them on his dresser in his room…

(Continued!) You think you’ve seen it all? Think again… Rhode Island - Hogchoker (Trinectes maculatus) avg. 4.5 inches. This brackish flatfish - like a Flounder - is amazingly unique. And yes, people keep them in home aquaria.

(Continuing!) Pennsylvania - Banded darter (Etheostoma zonale) avg. 2.5 inches. I’m a very proud keeper of these natives from my home-state. Here’s my main male coloring up this spring… And here’s a look at the wild 20 gal they’re in right now in my fishroom…

I'll add . . . for a wild array of US Native possibilities from all 50 states, I've been working on this . . . As an inspiring example, here's a young guy in Michigan who makes beautifully edited videos, who just went out and built this tank set up from random stuff he found around where he lives in Michigan. I couldn't stop watching...

I’m setting up a 29 gal in the next month with Saffron Shiners… And Banded Darters… But you’ll never regret Rainbow Shiners…

@OnlyGenusCaps oh yeah! Definitely could line breed color into the Sheepshead… My Flaggies were beautiful, but the male decided to spawn, and then beat up on everyone else…

I think most NANF can work in a reasonably wide temperature scope, from 60°-80°-F. Now, as for BREEDING, there are particularly stringent changes they depend on to “trigger” new seasons. Most are more attuned to light & photoperiod. I lower and shorten light during winter, then reopen it to signal spring. With temperature, one key: the cooler water is, the more gasses it can absorb (esp. oxygen). Warm water holds less and less gasses. SO, I always run extra air into tanks kept warmer than species-specific recommend parameters. As for that Gilt Darter… I think you’ll need to consult DNR regulations per state. Ohio may not permit its collection in the wild. I’ll ask sone NANFA guys about that though. Orange is a great color for a planted / dark tank!!

Well, I am not under any delusions that this is a winner here. But I am pleased with these…

[Special notice: Due to the large volume of photos and probability of future corrections, please call out / respond with @Name rather than using the “Quote” function. Thanks!] Time for the "O" states. Again, broadly separated regions of the country, these natives are found in small creeks, pools, pond edges, etc. Great beauty is so often hidden right under our noses... Ohio - Gilt Darter (Percina evades) 2.5-3.5 inches. Listed as Federally endangered in many locales. Oklahoma - Blackstripe topminnow (Fundulus notatus) avg. 2.5 inches. Common in the aquarium hobby. Oregon - Redside shiner (Richardsonius balteatus) avg. 2.5 inches. Note: Oregon regulations are very strict.

@OnlyGenusCaps I just put together your handle with capitalization of 1st binomial 😂 Boy… I’m slow… I shall hunt down the solo offense, and make it right! I really wondered about that photo. Thanks so much for the correction. I am blown away by the beauty of native Pupfish. The only one I have kept is the common Jordanella floridae…

@Baphijmm I kept seeing the baseball team pop up as I was looking online. That's amazing! It makes me appreciate these places so much. There is an unbelievable amount of freshwater miniature fish biodiversity here in the USA... but in truth, all over the planet. There must be an unnumbered amount of fish we've never imagined or heard of.

[Special notice: Due to the large volume of photos and probability of future corrections, please call out / respond with @Name rather than using the "Quote" function. Thanks!] There are eight "N" states, thanks to "New" and "North." Are there really unique native freshwater (or brackish) fish to be found in each one? Let's see! Nebraska - Plains Topminnow (Fundulus sciadicus) avg. 2 inches. Lovely for home aquarium. Colors vary. < websites accessed 04-29-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Nevada - Devil's Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolos) avg. 1 inch. Critically endangered. Fascinating study. < websites accessed 04-29-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 | Article 4 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 | Video 4 ________________________________________________________ New Hampshire - Swamp Darter (Etheostoma fusiforme) avg. 1.5 inches. NH smallest freshwater species. [Note: there is some questions whether these are original natives, or non-native settlers to NH. Established native ranges are in south / south eastern US] < websites accessed 06-14-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 > Early in 2022, I walked into my LFS, and a staff member urged me back to see a strange fish they'd gotten in with a shipment from a FL fish farm. "What is this? Some sort of goby?" he asked. "That's a Darter!" I replied. "You want him?" he asked, "We can't sell these." Of course I said yes. Turns out it was a young Swamp Darter. Here's a photo from my aquarium at home... New Jersey - Banded Sunfish (Enneacanthus obsesus) avg. 2.5 inches. I have two of these in my tank now! < websites accessed 06-14-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 | Article 4 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 > For a close look ay two E. obesus I've been keeping in my aquarium with N. chrosomus and E. caeruleum, here's a video... New Mexico - White Sands Pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa) avg. 1.5-2 inches. Threatened species. Lives only in three small desert oases in the state. < websites accessed 06-14-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || [No Videos Found] > New York - Variegate Darter (Etheostoma variatum) 2.5-4 inches. Found in southwest NY, Ohio River drainage. < websites accessed 06-14-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 > North Carolina - Fieryblack Shiner (Cyprinella pyrrhomelas) ca. 3 inches. Intensely beautiful when spawning. North Dakota - Brook Stickleback (Culaea inconstans) avg. 2 inches. Watch this to appreciate them in a tank.

[Special notice: Due to the large volume of photos and probability of future corrections, please call out / respond with @Name rather than using the "Quote" function. Thanks!] Continuing with some big "M" states, from the steamy bayou to the snow peaked Rockies, there's native US fish that could be kept in your home aquarium from each state in the nation... Minnesota - Northern Redbelly Dace (Chrosomus eos) avg. 2 inches. These color up for Spring Spawning. < websites accessed 04-26-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Mississippi - Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) 1.5-6 inches. Many domesticated lines in hobby. Brackish. < websites accessed 04-26-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Missouri - Rainbow Darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) 2-3 inches. I'm enjoying keeping about 6x of these now! < websites accessed 04-26-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Montana - Central Mudminnow (Umbra limi) avg. 3.2 inches. < websites accessed 04-26-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

[Special notice: Due to the large volume of photos and probability of future corrections, please call out / respond with @Name rather than using the "Quote" function. Thanks!] As we move ahead alphabetically, I'm excited to share a little native Darter here from my current home state (Maryland) -- in fact, from my very own tiny backyard mountain creek! I've added just a couple pics of my boy Sammy catch this one. Maryland - Fantail Darter (Etheostoma flabellare) avg. 2 inches. Not a high-colored fish, but really fun to catch -- especially right here in my own backyard creek! (added photos to give you context of where we're at) < websites accessed 04-25-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 | Video 4 ________________________________________________________ Massachusetts - Longnose Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) avg. 3.7 inches. Barbels at the corner of mouth. < websites accessed 04-25-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Michigan - Blackside Darter (Percina maculata) avg. 2.3 inches. A true Michigan native here! < websites accessed 04-25-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

[Special notice: Due to the large volume of photos and probability of future corrections, please call out / respond with @Name rather than using the "Quote" function. Thanks!] Here's another set of three states that span the nation, middle / bottom / top. There's fascinating freshwater natives everywhere, if you'll take time to look for them! Kentucky - Northern Studfish (Fundulus catenatus) avg. 6.5 inches. One of the largest Killifish. Beautiful! < websites accessed 04-23-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Louisiana - Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis) 3-6 inches. Unreal in sunlight-rich, breeding colors. < websites accessed 04-23-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 ________________________________________________________ Maine - Banded Killifish (Fundulus diaphanus) avg. 2.5 inches. Common in the hobby, unique tiger-stripes. < websites accessed 04-23-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Cold, wet, and windy day. But nothing’s stopping the avid birder! Northern Rough-winged Swallow Lesser Yellowlegs

I’ve put together two “sinking” mops to toss in the Banded Darter tank. I’ll try one in front of the Hardscape pile, and one behind…

@OnlyGenusCaps that’s quite the journey. Wow, your pupfish looked amazing! If I’m still doing this hobby hard in 10 years, I’d love to try something like that. Hard to lose ‘em, but that’s sometimes the way nature goes.

@Tihshho where at in MD are you? We’re out near Cumberland. Rick’s in Frederick gets a nice variety. The LFS out here can order anything. They’ll come from farms in FL or CA. We’re part of PVAS (Potomac Valley Aquarium Society) in Fairfax, VA. Long drive for us — we only make it a few times a year. I’m sure there’s breeders there with super reds.

@OnlyGenusCaps did you get them from a fellow aquarist? Through a grant? (Or some undisclosed backroom deal?) I’d love to see any photos if you have some.

Here we go! SRBD Wigglers starting to hatch out…