Fundulus blairae, the southern starhead topminnow, is a member of the F.
notti species group that contains 4 or 5 species, depending on who you ask
(notti, blairae, escambiae, lineolatus and dispar). Researchers (Cashner et
al., 1992) have found no significant genetic differences between blairae and
dispar, so many ichthyologists would argue that the two species are really
just dispar.
Aside from that, blairae, like dispar, is usually found in quiet backwaters
among vegetation over a soft muddy bottom. This makes it hard to easily
collect in most cases. The only dispar I've ever seen I collected via
electroshocking from a canoe with Dave Neely. The sediments in this
backwater of the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County, AL, were nearly
bottomless from what I could tell... We also collected some really honking
bowfins that day.
--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A
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