RE: NANFA-L-- Central Mudminnows in WI

Crail, Todd (tcrail-in-UTNet.UToledo.Edu)
Sat, 8 Apr 2006 21:52:59 -0400

Howdy Doug,

Yep, those are certainly mudminnows (nice shots!), and that's certainly one of
the place you find them. We have analogous habitat here in the Toledo area.
You might also find brook stickleback up in there as well, for other
interesting fishes. We've had ours displaced, so we don't get such pleasures.
But you may still get to see them. I don't know if you'll see any banded
killifish in that area, although I've seen them in habitat like that in
Michigan. Becker's Fishes of Wisconsin has disjunct populations from east WI
to MN.

As far as keeping the mudminnows, it's easiest to start them on frozen food
(anything that looks like a bug), but you'll soon have them pouncing on
anything that's moving in the water and associated with you. I've kept them
with large sunfish before, and they didn't have any problem competing.
They're really fiesty fish. I love 'em!

I'm not, however, much of a fan of keeping the stickleback (if you find some).
They're really aggressive and tough to feed, so you should consider separate
aquaria if you want to keep them. But they're certainly interesting to look
at, and if you have kids around... They're our own little freshwater
"seahorses", so kids can get really engaged looking-in-them.

Enjoy!
Todd
The Muddy Maumee Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com

________________________________

From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org on behalf of Doug Sharp
Sent: Sat 4/8/2006 5:43 PM
To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
Subject: NANFA-L-- Central Mudminnows in WI

I caught some Central Mudminnows this morning in a brook that runs in the
valley between my cabin and the lake I live on. A sandy, very seasonal brook
that flows through a wetland before emptying into the lake.

My first fishpix of the season:
http://flushyourbrain.com/droogfish/MudMinnow06_04_08.htm

Being a newbie I hope these are Mudminnows. Before I checked my books I was
sure they must be killifish.

Anyone have advice on keeping them? I'm going to start a 30-gallon tank for
fish from my lake.

Doug Sharp, on Martel Lake, WI - Home of the elusive fathead minnow.
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