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Fathead Minnow
Fathead Minnow (Eng.), Minó, Cabezón (Sp.), Pimephales promelas (Sci.); distribution – introduced species, Puerto Rico streams and rivers.
Photo © 2005 Marinco Bioassay Laboratory, Inc. Information compiled by Alan Mowbray, Interpretive Media Writer, EYNF/LEF
General Information
Taxonomy: Class – Actinopterygii, Order – Cypriniformes, Family – Cyprinidae, Genus – Pimephales, Species – P. promelas. The Fathead Minnow is a species of temperate freshwater fish belonging to the Pimephalesgenus of the Cypranid family.
Description
Adult Fathead Minnows are small in size, ranging from 1.6 to 4 inches (43 to 102 millimeters) in length – average length is 1.9 inches (50 millimeters). They have a rounded snout and short, rounded fins. Mature males acquire numerous white breeding tubercles on the snout and an elongated grey, fleshy pad extending in a narrow line from the nape to the dorsal fin. A dusky, olive-grey color overall, with a lighter colored belly, the sides of the bodies of males become almost black except for two wide vertical bands which are lighter in color. Female coloration is drab in comparison.
Habits
Fathead Minnows school in mid-water or near the bottom, and feed primarily on plant material, although invertebrates are sometimes consumed. Spawning is prolonged from late spring through midsummer. Eggs are deposited over submerged objects and guarded by males. Nests may contain as many as 12,000 eggs, and females may spawn as many as 12 times in a single season. Some individuals may mature and spawn during their first year, but spawning is usually delayed until the second summer.
Habitat
The Fathead Minnow is a stream fish, able to tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions including high temperatures, low oxygen levels, and high turbidities. The species seems to be most abundant in small streams where competition with other species is limited.
Where to look for this animal in the EYNF
In streams and rivers alongside nature trails in all El Yunque National Forest vegetation types.
