Re: NANFA-- RE: WWMD & Fundulus

unclescott (unclescott_at_prodigy.net)
Tue, 28 Oct 2003 18:06:55 -0600

Thank you B.G.,

A pretty reliable and frequently consulted resource has described F.
olivaceus and F. euryzonus as behaving pretty much the same - cruising the
surface. It figured that they would have somewhat different (micro?)
habitats.

Now.... distribution maps show a considerable overlap between F. olivaceus
and F. notatus. What you have described for olivaceus, where they sail
zig-zag across surface waters in a small flotilla, dappled by the sun, seems
like a lot like how we observed notatus in a couple of local streams at the
other end of the Mississippi Valley, here.

What happens when they occur in the same areas?

My apologies to you and probably many others on the list. This is probably a
frequently trod trail.

Thanks and all the best,

(just) Scott

(57 degrees F in the Kankakee a week ago, it's been a lot cooler since
then.)
...............
> Yes, to both of your questions! The fish are found in the same drainages,
but have distinct differences in habitat preferences!
>
> F. olivaceus are usually found in the shallows, preferably sunlit areas,
while F. euryzonus prefer the deeper, shaded areas of the same creek/river!

> Maybe that this is how they maintain their purity of races, as it
were..........But, in a controlled environment, it has been shown by an LSU
graduate (Thomas Blanchard, in his thesis paper) that they can and will
hybridize....
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