Chologaster cornuta

Chologaster cornuta
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Percopsiformes
Family:	Amblyopsidae
Genus:	Chologaster
Species:	Ch. cornuta
Binomial name
Chologaster cornuta

Chologaster cornuta communly named Swampfish or ricefish or riceditch killifish, is a freshwater fish of the family of Amblyopsidae. It is the only living species of the genus Chologaster. It only lives in US rivers in the Atlantic Coastal Plain drainages, from southeast Virginia to central Georgia. It lives up to two years. The latin name refers to a very tiny horned bulge at front of the eye. Males are commonly 4 cm long, but may be as large as 7 cm.

Characteristics

This species related with cavefish and blindfish Amblyopsidae is being dorsally brown and ventrally creamy white, with three dark stripes on each side. Inhabits above-ground swamps, rather than caves.^[1] It is found in swamps, ponds, ditches, and slow streams . Although many Amblyopsidae species have vestigial eyes, the Swampfish have functional eyes.

Behaviour

Chologaster cornuta feeds mostly at night, on small crustaceans and aquatic insects. It spawns in March and April. Although locally common, individuals are hard to spot because they are largely nocturnal and found in heavily vegetated waters. They are highly sensitive to touch and light and will quickly move away from a source of either, preferring rests on the bottom hided over rocks and leaf litter until dark. Moving quickly if disturbed, they prefer highly oxygenated water and have a high temperature tolerance.

Occurs on vegetation and debris in swamps, sloughs and quiet pools and backwaters of streams. Found year-round in open streams which are small and well-shaded with temperatures never exceeding 23°C. In such streams, its thigmotaxic tendency is shown by the difficulty in seining it from the roots and debris of its preferred habitat along edges of submerged weed banks which border sand-bottomed channels. This habitat is rich in potential food for Chologaster cornuta like amphipods, ostracods and copepods.^[2]

References

1. ^ Cohen, Daniel M. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 129. ISBN 0-12-547665-5. 
2. ^ http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Chologaster+cornuta

External links

• Information page
• http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Chologaster+cornuta