Powered
Banded Killifish or Mummichog?
The fish in question: https://roughfish.com/content/unknown-killfish
<!--break-->
Hi all. I am taking my first foray into microfishing, and I have almost immediately run into a fish whose species I cannot decide. I am hoping you all can help.
<!--break-->
I was fishing Absecon Creek, NJ, at the mouth near Absecon Bay. There were schools of Mummichog, and I angled one in on a size sixteen hook. They're just about everywhere in the bays and brackish creeks. Here is a picture here for reference:
<!--break-->
I pulled up another even smaller fish not long after, but this one looked a little different. It lacks the bright spots of a mummichog, and I thought it might be the banded killifish, which is native to the freshwaters around here, and is sometimes found in brackish waters as well. But I realize it could just be a color variation of the mummichog, whether due to juvenile status, sexual dimorphism, or just a different phenotype.
<!--break-->
In favor of Banded Killifish:
-They are native to this area of Southern New Jersey.
<!--break-->
-They are tolerant of brackish water. This was at the mouth of a freshwater creek where it meets the bay. Not sure of exact salinity level though.
<!--break-->
-According to Wikipedia's article on the Mummichog, they often mix with and interbreed with Banded Killifish, so it's not odd to find them in the same place.
<!--break-->
-Wikipedia also describes the banded killifish as being light and having thin dark bars. However, I've notices most Banded Killfish posted on this site actually have bright fluorescent stripes, and again I don't know if this is just an alternate coloration?
<!--break-->
Example of Banded Killifish that kinda matches: https://roughfish.com/content/killifish-banded-moose439
Another: https://static.inaturalist.org/photos/1020731/large.jpg?1406756154
Example of banded Killifish that doesnt' quite match: https://roughfish.com/content/killifish-banded-jessefishing
<!--break-->
Example of Mummichog that kinda matches: https://roughfish.com/content/mummichog-uconn-fishmate
The Mummichog I caught before catching this unknown fish: https://roughfish.com/lifelists/overview/detail/fish/104413
<!--break-->
To be honest, having gone through the species galleries in making this post, I think this is probably a mummichog, but it'd be really great if it was a Banded Killi. I'd like to know the thoughts of you experts.
If someone could tell me how to properly format my post so it doesn't look like hot garbage with plaintext links, that would be great.
I don't know how to help format things (or ID the fish sorry) but I wanted to thank you for putting a smile on my fish with the term "hot garbage"! Best of luck with the ID!
Master of over thinking and "hey squirrel" and if not that, I'm probably wondering hey, what's that...
This is a test of embedding an image in a post.
Direct link to image.....
(Test: corrected OP's html, local references converted to links, external image URL's to properly linked images.)
Banded Killifish or Mummichog? The fish in question: unknown-killfish .
Hi all. I am taking my first foray into microfishing, and I have almost immediately run into a fish whose species I cannot decide. I am hoping you all can help. <
I was fishing Absecon Creek, NJ, at the mouth near Absecon Bay. There were schools of Mummichog, and I angled one in on a size sixteen hook. They're just about everywhere in the bays and brackish creeks. Here is a picture here for reference:
I pulled up another even smaller fish not long after, but this one looked a little different. It lacks the bright spots of a mummichog, and I thought it might be the banded killifish, which is native to the freshwaters around here, and is sometimes found in brackish waters as well. But I realize it could just be a color variation of the mummichog, whether due to juvenile status, sexual dimorphism, or just a different phenotype.
In favor of Banded Killifish:
-They are native to this area of Southern New Jersey.
-They are tolerant of brackish water. This was at the mouth of a freshwater creek where it meets the bay. Not sure of exact salinity level though.
-According to Wikipedia's article on the Mummichog, they often mix with and interbreed with Banded Killifish, so it's not odd to find them in the same place.
-Wikipedia also describes the banded killifish as being light and having thin dark bars. However, I've notices most Banded Killfish posted on this site actually have bright fluorescent stripes, and again I don't know if this is just an alternate coloration?
Example of Banded Killifish that kinda matches: killifish-banded-moose439
Another:
Example of banded Killifish that doesnt' quite match: killifish-banded-jessefishing
Example of Mummichog that kinda matches: mummichog-uconn-fishmate
The Mummichog I caught before catching this unknown fish: lifelists/overview/detail/fish/104413
To be honest, having gone through the species galleries in making this post, I think this is probably a mummichog, but it'd be really great if it was a Banded Killi. I'd like to know the thoughts of you experts.