NANF from All 50 States

[Fish Folk]

[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 a handful of small, freshwater, non-game-fish North American Native fish species that are now quite popular in the Aquarium hobby (e.g. Shiners, Darters). But many have never been considered. While I love tropical fish, and never cease to be amazed at the rich biodiversity near the Earth's equator, I think there's room to enjoy temperate fish from local waters in the United States. Some of these are simply not practical to keep due to their demands. But many could be adapted just fine. Bear in mind that all of these fish fall under strict regulations in each state and many cannot be legally caught, kept or sold without proper permits. Just as we should never release fish from our aquariums into the local waterways, there are reciprocal cautions about bringing in fish from the wild to our home aquariums. A few mentions here are endangered and should never be kept. But if you want to meet small temperate fish from each of the 50 states, here are introductions from the first 7 States listed alphabetically...

Alabama - Watercress Darter (Etheostoma nuchale) - avg.. 2-inches. Endangered. Found only in Jefferson County, AL.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 | Article 4 || Video 1 | Video 2

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Alaska - Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) avg. 3-inches. Bottom dweller. Similar to larger gobys and Darters. Nocturnal eaters.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Arizona - Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius) avg. 2 inches. Difficult in home aquarium. Can live at 100-F, 20% salinity.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Arkansas - Golden Topminnow (Fundulus chrysostus) avg. 1.5 inches. Often kept in home aquariums. Colors vary a lot.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 

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California - Owens Pupfish (Cyprinodon radiosus) avg. 1.5 inches. Found only in Owens Valley, CA. Federally endangered.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Colorado - Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma spectabile) avg. 1.8 inches. Appears in various degrees of coloration.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Connecticut - Rainwater Killifish (Lucania parva) avg. 1.5 inches. Not a seasonal Killi. Hard to maintain in aquarium.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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(More to come! Stay tuned...)

Edited April 22, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

[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 three more NANF from all 50 States . . .

Delaware - Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) avg. 3.5 inches, can grow up to 6 inches. Brackish. Hardy!

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 | Article 4 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3 | Video 4

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Florida - Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma gilberti) avg. 1 inch. Very established in hobby. Males colorful.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Georgia - Etowah Darter (Etheostoma etowahae) ca. 2 inches. Federal and State protected species.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Fish Folk

[lefty o]

this made me go snooping on that colorado orange throat darter, sheesh, spendy little buggers. very cool looking coloration on them though.

[Fish Folk]

@lefty o Orangethroat Darters are only going to get that unbelievably colored in the wild, with sunlight and spring foods, at peak spawning season. I think they're not too terribly hard to purchase . . . between $10-$20 a piece (plus shipping). I get my darters through supplier in Ohio. They're reasonably hardy little fish. I feed mine frozen blood worms every day. I'll offer them black worms when I can get them in healthy. I think that a native tank at home that gets ca. 2 hrs of direct sunlight each day could maybe trigger them to color like this in the spring.

[Tihshho]

Those Desert Pupfish are stunning! Would be neat to have once someone figured out how to captive raise them.

[lefty o]

On 4/18/2022 at 10:20 PM, Fish Folk said:

@lefty o Orangethroat Darters are only going to get that unbelievably colored in the wild, with sunlight and spring foods, at peak spawning season. I think they're not too terribly hard to purchase . . . between $10-$20 a piece (plus shipping). I get my darters through supplier in Ohio. They're reasonably hardy little fish. I feed mine frozen blood worms every day. I'll offer them black worms when I can get them in healthy. I think that a native tank at home that gets ca. 2 hrs of direct sunlight each day could maybe trigger them to color like this in the spring.

yeah, i saw just under 20 bucks. for sure they will be unlikely to get that spectacular color in a tank. kept some local wild darters many years ago. less colorful, but neat fish in their own right.

[Fish Folk]

[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 this thread, here are three far-flung states with native miniatures from each...

Hawaii - 'o'opu, Hawaiian Freshwater Goby (Lentipes concolor) avg. 2.5 inches. Climbs 400 ft high waterfalls.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Idaho - Leopard Dace (Rhinichthys falcatus) avg. 2.5 inches. Feeds on insect larvae and earthworms.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3

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Illinois - Redfin Shiner (Lythrurus umbratilis) avg. 2.5 inches. Very lovely fish. Excellent for a large NANF tank.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

Edited April 23, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

@Tihshho Though not technically a US native, an aquarist got ahold of a stock of now "extinct-in-the-wild" pupfish, La Palma Pupfish, from the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico (Cyprinodon longidorsalis) and shares it on YouTube here. Can you imagine keeping alive an ark population of extinct fish in your fishroom??!! Talk about pressure...

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

[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!]

Looking deep into the heartland, Indiana, Iowa, and Kansas for some unique U.S. Natives. Unbelievable what thrives right in our backyards here in the States that could occupy a unique home aquarium...

Indiana - Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blennioides) avg. 2-3 inches. Common in the hobby. Spawning colors.

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Iowa - Iowa Darter (Etheostoma exile) avg. 2 inches. I wish they'd make this the state fish!

< websites accessed 04-22-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 | Article 3 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

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Kansas - Cardinal Shiner (Luxilus cardinalis) avg. 3-4 inches. Shoal Creek and Spring River in Cherokee County

< websites accessed 04-24-2022 > Article 1 | Article 2 || Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Tihshho]

As someone originally from Hawaii, I can say these are hard to find. You have to put a lot of time and be in the right place to find them. When my Dad was a kid he said they were so common, now it's a challenge based on construction causing damage to the areas of wildlife as well as trash getting into the water ways.

[Fish Folk]

@Tihshho they seem to be a creature quite revered by native folk there.

[Tihshho]

There is a whole story behind it and a myth that goes with the Hawaiian natives. There are other cultures that live on the island that use to collect it as a food source because it was thought to have medicinal properties.

[Biotope Biologist]

On 4/19/2022 at 8:04 AM, Tihshho said:

As someone originally from Hawaii, I can say these are hard to find. You have to put a lot of time and be in the right place to find them. When my Dad was a kid he said they were so common, now it's a challenge based on construction causing damage to the areas of wildlife as well as trash getting into the water ways.

Unfortunately there are a handful of people who are obsessed with covering this world in concrete, this fact remains true no matter where you go. The creek behind my house had salmon and trout fry, daces, sculpin, and juvenile flatfish. Even an occasional loach, but now it's void of most things except crayfish and other bugs. 

 

Not to take away from this lovely journal, I really want to see more NANF  in this trade as it builds peoples appreciation for the place they exist in and the beauty it holds.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

@Fish Folk, I had some C. longidorsalis last year.  They were wiped out by a parasite of some sort.  I'll be trying them again this spring.  There are a few folks, and one zoo working to keep these in existence in the States.  They are amazing fish!  Perhaps my favorite.

[Fish Folk]

@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.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Fish Folk

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Hey @Fish Folk.  You can see the whole sad, sorted affair here (it was in my signature, but I removed it after the sad end of that group):

That's the first post with photos of the fish.  I think I messed up by bringing in wild algae.  There was no way to clean it without killing it, and I suspect that's where the parasite came in from.  I'm not making that mistake again!  But many were lost in shipping even before I had a chance to make my own mistakes.  Looking back it had the feeling of a doomed experiment with the multiple issues.  But, I love those fish so, I'm trying again.  They should be way more common in the hobby!  And I'd like to help make that happen.  The new colony will end up going in my "Subsclarium Journal" in my signature. 

In terms of where to get them - it took me over a year to get plugged into the community of keepers to where someone was willing to sell me fish.  Luckily, that crowd is willing to give me a second chance, mainly because I kept and bred them successfully over a decade ago, so I know I can succeed.  It'll be good to have these fish back in my life.  I've missed them at least weekly for the past decade. 

[Fish Folk]

@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.

Edited April 19, 2022 by Fish Folk

[anewbie]

On 4/18/2022 at 10:20 PM, Fish Folk said:

@lefty o Orangethroat Darters are only going to get that unbelievably colored in the wild, with sunlight and spring foods, at peak spawning season. I think they're not too terribly hard to purchase . . . between $10-$20 a piece (plus shipping). I get my darters through supplier in Ohio. They're reasonably hardy little fish. I feed mine frozen blood worms every day. I'll offer them black worms when I can get them in healthy. I think that a native tank at home that gets ca. 2 hrs of direct sunlight each day could maybe trigger them to color like this in the spring.

From what I've read it is not too hard to grow your own worm colony in a 10 gallon tank... might be easier if you have a room in the basement (rumour is they stink).

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 4/19/2022 at 2:47 PM, Fish Folk said:

If I’m still doing this hobby hard in 10 years, I’d love to try something like that.

If my efforts are successful, I hope they will be far more available in far less time.  They are beautiful, curious, and fun fish!  I think if they were more available they'd find many who would appreciate them. 

I like this list!  I hope I didn't accidentally derail it at Kansas.  I want to see what else is around.

[Baphijmm]

Wholly unrelated, I keep seeing the title of this thread and, as a programmer, reading it as "Not A Number Fish".

But this is an interesting list! Can't wait to see what you dig up for New Mexico.

[Fish Folk]

[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

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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

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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

Edited April 24, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

[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

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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

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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

Edited April 26, 2022 by Fish Folk

[drewzero1]

These are all so cool! If I keep hitting refresh, sooner or later you'll get down to W! 😅

[Fish Folk]

[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

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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

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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

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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

Edited April 30, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

[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

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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

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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.

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Fish Folk