NANF from All 50 States

[Baphijmm]

Had a feeling you'd do the White Sands pupfish; they're just down the road from me, and in fact the "local" "city" (both in quotes because Alamogordo's about 40 miles away, and hardly qualifies as a city) had a baseball team for a few years called the White Sands Pupfish. The city zoo used to have some in an aquarium, as part of a conservation effort and to educate the general public about them.

[Torrey]

Thank you for all of this!

[Fish Folk]

@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.

[OnlyGenusCaps]

This is an amazing list, @Fish Folk!  I appreciate that you have properly capitalized only the genus and not the species epithet (with one exception so far), as well as italicized the Latin binomials.  What can I say, small thrills in life over here. 

I particularly love this list as a pupfish nerd!  So many great ones making the list.  On that note, the photo you have included for the white sands pupfish, I believe is actually the desert pupfish (C. macularius), likely one of the Salton Sea populations.  Here is a photo of the white sands species (not many on the web):

You can see how well they blend in with their habitat!  I believe, the white sand species is part of the much less colorful "South Plains & North Chihuahuan Desert" clade, whereas the desert pupfish is from the typically very blue (at least in males) "Western" clade.  Sorry, like I said, pupfish nerd here.  🧐

[Fish Folk]

@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…

[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!]

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.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Fish Folk

[anewbie]

@Fish Folkthat gilt darter looks like a really interesting fish. I wonder if it is a difficult fish to keep. One thing I dislike about most american fishes is the temp requirements after all I don't keep my rooms at the same temp as a nice Colorado mountain stream 😉

 

[Fish Folk]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:20 AM, anewbie said:

@Fish Folkthat gilt darter looks like a really interesting fish. I wonder if it is a difficult fish to keep. One thing I dislike about most american fishes is the temp requirements after all I don't keep my rooms at the same temp as a nice Colorado mountain stream 😉

 

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!! 

[OnlyGenusCaps]

On 4/20/2022 at 8:28 AM, Fish Folk said:

I shall hunt down the solo offense, and make it right!

You are a hero among men, sir!

On 4/20/2022 at 8:28 AM, Fish Folk said:

I am blown away by the beauty of native  Pupfish.

For me, it's not just their color.  In my estimation, they have the most endearing personalities.  I feel like sometime people attribute hunger to personalities in fish: it comes right over when I am going to feed it!  But my pupfish were the only fish in my rack that after being fed, kept at the glass.  They would cruise across the tank to whichever side I was one, jockeying for the best position to see what I was doing.  No matter what work I was doing in that room, I could rest assured that all of the pupfish were supervising the operation.  I've never found fish more curious about what is happening on the other side of that glass wall. 

I'm not sure about the personalities of Florida flagfish as I haven't kept them.  But, I'm surprised that more folks don't try to keep Cyprinodon variegatus, as it is common throughout much of it's extensive range along the eastern seaboard, and likely has the same peppy personality as the rest of the genus.  I think you are inland, but you could probably go collect them along the bay this summer if you wanted to give the genus a try.  With a little selective breeding, I think that species could become quite brightly colored.  Just a thought... 😇

[Fish Folk]

@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…

Edited April 20, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

(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…

[Fish Folk]

(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.

[Fish Folk]

(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…

 

[Fish Folk]

(Continued!)

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

Edited April 21, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Colu]

There some stunning NAF people tend to focus  on South American or Asian or African species in the trade if they can be captivly breed in a sustainable way and become more widely available I think a lot more people would keep native fish @Fish Folk

[Fish Folk]

Here we go ya NERMS! Gonna wrap up this first pass over native miniature fish from all 50 US States, reasonably suitable to home aquaria. Again, not all are free to just catch and take home. And there are a number of cautions to anyone thinking about this: remember that wild stuff is . . . wild. Diseases and pathogens are easily brought in from the wild, so proceed with an abundance of care if you're wanting to start up a NANF tank. But here we go, the last nine US States in alphabetical order...

Tennessee - Rainbow Shiner (Notropis chrosomus) avg. 2 inches. Quickly becoming the most popular NANF in the hobby. These are mine colored up spawning. Here's two videos [1, 2] taken today of my Rainbow Shiner fry.

Texas - Rio Grande Cichlid [Texas cichlid] (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) 4.5-12 inches. Well if you know tank busters, you saw this one coming!

Utah - Least Chub (Iotichthys phlegethontis) 1-2 inches. Found only in Utah. Schooling species.

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

Vermont - Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pelllucida) avg. 2.9 inches. As name suggests, likes sand!

Virginia - Saffron Shiner (Notropis rubricroceus) avg. 2 inches. I am going to say... in breeding dress, this is my personal favorite NANF fish. I am planning on starting up a 29 gallon aquarium in a few months with the intention to breed these.

Washington - Olympic mudminnow (Novumbra hubbsi) avg. 2.1 inches. Washington's only known endemic freshwater fish species.

West Virginia - Candy Darter (Etheostoma osburni) avg. 2.8 inches. Endangered species. Very iconic!

Wisconsin - Tadpole madtom (Noturus gyrinus) avg. 2 inches. Yay! A tiny US native catfish for home aquaria.

Wyoming - Pearl Dace (Margariscus margarita) avg. 3.6 inches. Listed as endangered in Wyoming, but found elsewhere in US.

 

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Fish Folk

[drewzero1]

@Fish Folk  The tadpole madtom, an excellent choice! They've got venomous spikes on their fin rays, so watch out!

Good call on the caveats/warnings as well. I've been looking into options for legal collection of live fish for aquarium use in Wisconsin and (as far as I can tell) the DNR prohibits it entirely. Instead they have a few fish farms listed that sell some native species for pond stocking, bait, and aquarium hobbyists.

[Fish Folk]

@drewzero1 Game laws in every state are a headache to follow, but need to be respected. For my part, I just call up my state DNR on the phone and ask about what I want to do. Sometimes they complain . . . telling me it's in the published regs / guides / etc . . . but I always ask them for help so that I do not miss anything.

Wisconsin is famous as a NANFA center. If you're not already a member, consider joining and finding fellow enthusiasts in your state. I wonder if someone with a bait license could collect and sell certain species in Wisconsin.

For my part, as much as I love the thought of grabbing wild fish form the creek behind my house, and setting up a "mountain Maryland biotope," I've settled on preferring the agency of an experienced specialist who sells NANF species full time to hobbyists. Though he cannot possibly get me everything, he can advise me on a lot and really helps steer my enthusiasm in helpful directions.

We are also very fortunate to be part of an amazing Fish Club, PVAS. It's populated by the guys who lead regular trips with Project Amazonas down to Peru; boasts a former NANFA president . . . some professional breeders . . . a Goodeid Specialist . . . Killifish experts . . . and many, many people who have forgotten more about fish keeping than I'll ever learn. Believe me when I say that at Fish Club meetings, I am an absolute nobody over in the corner soaking it all in! 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Fish Folk

[drewzero1]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:59 PM, Fish Folk said:

@drewzero1 Game laws in every state are a headache to follow, but need to be respected. For my part, I just all up my state DNR on the phone and ask about what I want to do. Sometimes they complain . . . telling me it's in the published regs / guides / etc . . . but I always ask them for help so that I do not miss anything.

Wisconsin is famous as a NANFA center. If you're not already a member, consider joining and finding fellow enthusiasts in your state. I wonder if someone with a bait license could collect and sell certain species in Wisconsin.

For my part, as much as I love the thought of grabbing wild fish form the creek behind my house, and setting up a "mountain Maryland biotope," I've settled on preferring the agency of an experienced specialist who sells NANF species full time to hobbyists. Though he cannot possibly get me everything, he can advise me on a lot and really helps steer my enthusiasm in helpful directions.

We are also very fortunate to be part of an amazing Fish Club, PVAS. It's populated by the guys who lead regular trips with Project Amazonas down to Peru; boasts a former NANFA president . . . some professional breeders . . . a Goaded Specialist . . . Killifish experts . . . and many, many people who have forgotten more about fish keeping than I'll ever learn. Believe me when I say that at Fish Club meetings, I am an absolute nobody over in the corner soaking it all in! 

Thanks for the links! I'll have to check those out.

As annoying as it may be that I can't just go to the lake or river within a mile of my house and bring something home, the DNR know what they're doing. Not only are they working against the spread of invasive plants and animals, but they're also trying to stop diseases like VHS from entering new areas. If nothing else, I've gained a lot of respect for their struggle with those issues.

[Tihshho]

Probably not native, but more so introduced, but I used to see madtoms in water ways in MD a bunch. I would usually see them close to boat landings of reservoirs or near the shore.

[Henry the fish keeper]

On 4/20/2022 at 4:50 PM, Fish Folk said:

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.

I have kept mosquito fish before they bred like wildfire!

[Atitagain]

Such a great thread, you have obviously put in a lot of time into this. I so appreciate that! This will be such a great resource to reference when I want to expand my soon to be native tank. (Rainbow shiners should be in my fishroom soon) 

I have only scrolled through but what I’ve read there’s a lot of interesting feedback as well.

@Fish Folk thank you.

[Fish Folk]

I am beginning a long process of going through and adding article and video links pertaining to each NANF fish species on this list. As I add them, you'll locate these resources at the bottom of the entry beneath the fish photo(s) like this:

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

It's a long, long project. So hang in there! 

Edited April 22, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Widgets]

Have you seen this resource?

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/florida-fishes-gallery/?_sft_status=native-freshwater

[Fish Folk]

@Widgets Holy cow! Nope, I'd never seen that site. Wow -- great photos. What a list. Florida truly is a NANF paradise.

I suppose most folks have seen this video, but if not -- it's so worth the watch! Cory joins up with Wild Fish Tanks YouTuber catching wild fish in Florida...