Lucania goodei – Bluefin Killifish

Lucania goodei – Bluefin Killifish

Lucania goodei was described by Jordan in 1880. Their common name is Bluefin Killifish. This species belongs to the Order Cyprinodontiformes or tooth carps, family Fundulidae a family of killi fish.

The name Lucania is derived from the Italian province of Lucania, near Tarento. The genus name goodei is named after Dr. G.B. Goode, an American ichthyologist, who was the first to collect this fish.

Previous names: Lucania goodei (JORDAN 1879); Funclulus goodei (WOOLMAN 1892); Fundulus (Chriopeops) goodei (Fowler 1916); Chriopeops goodei MYERS, 1924

Description

Lately I don’t see this killifish anywhere anymore, while it is still a very nice fish. At the end of the fifties and early sixties of the 20th century, I enjoyed a school (from that time called Chriopeop’s goodei fish) in my community aquarium for many years. I also bred with them.

It is a typical Fundulus-like but with a more spindle-shaped body. Maximum length 6 centimeters, in aquariums in most cases rarely more than 5 centimeters. Their body is oval shaped. It is a streamlined elongated fish, the height is around a quarter of the length from nose to caudal peduncle.

The dorsal fin starts halfway their body. The anal fin starts a little further back.
Their nose is rounded, the mouth terminal, with the mouth opening directed upwards. Lucania distinguishes itself from the other fundulus-type species as they have two rows of teeth in their jaws.

As far as can be ascertained, their lifespan is around 2 years.

Biotope

Subtropical freshwater that has pH values between 6.5 and 6.8 due to humic acids and temperatures ranging from 12 ° to 22 ° C.

They live in slow-flowing and stagnant waters, lakes and swamps, in pools, ponds, and streams, which are generally densely overgrown with plants. Often seen in the vicinity of natural wells.

Swim in schools, usually quite far below the surface of the water. Although belonging to the killis, it is not a real seasonal fish. It is fairly easy to keep in an aquarium.

Distribution/origin

North America, in Florida, except to the west of the delta of the Choctawhatchee River; very rarely also along the Atlantic coast to central South Carolina, in southeastern Alabama in the delta of the Chipola river.

Has also been released into the wild in California, Texas and North Carolina.

Care

The natural habitat of this species predominantly consists of still marshy waters of Florida. Lucania goodei does not occur in the also swampy, more brackish coastal waters.
An important point is the temperature of this area, almost tropical in the summer, but sometimes very cold in the winter. They, therefore, tolerate both quite low temperatures of 5 ° Celsius and higher to 25 ° Celsius.

According to some descriptions, it is best to keep this tooth carp, together with species that occur in the same habitat, such as Fundulus chrysotus, Elassoma evergladei, Jordanella floridae et al: at room temperature in an unheated aquarium. My own experience was that the fish did well in the tropical community aquarium at the time, although it is not excluded that keeping it permanently at higher temperatures can lead to a shorter lifespan.

The bottom is preferably covered with a substantial layer of humus (for example peat) and the aquarium is heavily planted with, for example, Myriophyllum, Najas, Bacopa, Heteranthera, and the like. As food, they prefer small insects and insect larvae, but also small invertebrates (daphnia or cyclops) and dry food are eaten without problems.

Like many Fundulus-like species, they are quite sensitive to changes in the composition of water, so never transfer directly from one aquarium to another. They are less tolerant of fresh tap water than supplementing with rainwater.

Breeding Lucania goodei – Bluefin Killifish

At breeding temperatures above 23-24 ° C, most eggs remain unfertilized, practice shows that the optimum temperature for the sperm to achieve successful fertilization is 18 to 19 ° Celsius.

Mating can, just as with related species, sometimes get quite intense. The eggs are deposited in the upper water layers, on and between the fine-leafed leaves of plants. Two to five eggs per spawn, but they spawn daily for several consecutive weeks. In total, up to 200 eggs are produced in this way.

The yellowish-brown eggs are quite large (around 2 mm in diameter) and stick to the plants with short slime threads. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch after one week to ten days.
The fry grow fairly quickly and already after about five to six weeks, we see the red tail developing in the males.

Video

Author

Menno van Veen

Copyright images

Rudolf Pohlmann – Killifishe.info – Facebook

Resources

Fishbase.org