Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S2?

ITIS Code: 165646         

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The banded killifish is found in the northern drainages of the Central Plains Aquatic Subregion.  It has been collected from several lakes in Okoboji region of the Little Sioux River drainage and has been documented from the Missouri River (Harlan et al. 1987).  The banded killifish is not common anywhere in its range in Iowa.

Habitat Affinities:

The preferred habitat of the banded killifish seems to be shallow waters of glacial lakes and ponds that contain extensive amounts of aquatic vegetation (Becker 1983; Cooper 1983; Eddy and Underhill 1974; Harlan et al. 1987; Smith 1979; Trautman 1981).  Over much of its range, the banded killifish also inhabits quiet backwaters at the mouth of streams and vegetated pools or sections of slow current in medium- to large-sized streams (Becker 1983; Berry, et al. 2004; Phillips et al. 1982; Trautman 1981).  It is well known to avoid the swift cold water of trout streams (Becker 1983, Eddy and Underhill 1974), which could partially explain its absence from the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Aquatic Subregion.

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: Range Only

The distribution is based upon existing collection records.

No Prediction

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Berry, C.R., D.L. Galat, and M.L. Wildhaber.  2004.  Fish distribution and abundance. 

Volume 3.  Population structure and habitat use of benthic fishes along the Missouri and lower Yellowstone rivers.  U.S. Geological Survey, Cooperative Units, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota.

Cooper, E.L.  1983.  Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States.  Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, Pennsylvania. 243 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Smith, P.W.  1979.  The fishes of Illinois.  University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois.  314 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Iowa State University Museum.  1985.  Collection of fishes catalog, 1878-1985.   Iowa

State University, Ames, Iowa.

Meek, S.E.  1892.  Report upon the fishes of Iowa, based upon observations and

collections mad during 1889, 1890, 1891.  Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. 10(1890):217-248.

Paragamian, V.L.  1990.  Fish populations of Iowa rivers and streams.  Technical Bulletin

No. 3.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Cashner, R.C., J.S. Rogers, and J.M. Grady.  1992.  Phylogenetic studies of the genus Fundulus.  Pages 421-437 in R. L. Mayden, editor.  Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes.  Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calfiornia. xxvi + 969 pp.

Houston, J.  1990.  Status of the banded killifish, Fundulus diaphanous, in Canada.  Canadian Field-Naturalist 104(1):45-52.

Huver, C.W. 1973.  A bibliography of the genus Fundulus.  G. K. Hall and Company, Boston, Massachusetts. v + 138 pp.

Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Lyons, J.  1989.  Changes in the abundance of small littoral-zone fishes in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 67: 2910-2916.

Melisky, E.L., J.R. Stauffer, Jr., and  C.H. Hocutt.  1980.  Temperature preference of banded killifish, Fundulus diaphanous, from southwestern Pennsylvania.  Copeia 1980(2): 346-349.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Parenti, L.R.  1981.  A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha).  Bulletin of the American Museum Natural History 168:335-557.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Smith, C.L.  1985.  The inland fishes of New York state.  New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, New York.  522 pp.

Warren, M.L. Jr., B.M. Burr, S.J. Walsh, H.L. Bart Jr., R.C. Cashner, D.A. Etnier, B.J. Freeman, B.R. Kuhajda, R.L. Mayden, H.W. Robison, S.T. Ross, and W.C. Starnes.  2000.  Diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States.  Fisheries 25(10): 7-31.

Werner, E.E., D.J. Hall, D.R. Laughlin, D.J. Wagner, L.A. Wilsmann, and F.C. Funk.  1977.  Habitat partitioning in a freshwater fish community.  Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 34(3):360-370.

Wiley, E.O.  1986.  A study of the evolutionary relationships of Fundulus topminnows (Teleostei: Fundulidae). American Zoologist 26:121-130.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Konrad Schmidt, copyright Konrad Schmidt.

Upper Right:     Female. Photo courtesy of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. http://www.dnr.state.md.us