Species: Fundulus jenkinsi, Saltmarsh Topminnow, Saltmarsh Topminnow Killifish

Fundulus jenkinsi (Evermann, 1892)

Saltmarsh Topminnow, Saltmarsh Topminnow Killifish

Body slender elongate, compressed; head flattened above, with straight to slightly convex upper profile, snout sharply pointed, about equal to eye; cover of eye not continuous with head skin; front nostril not tubular; mouth small, oblique, opens at front, protrusible, top jaw twisted, lower jaw projecting; chin with no pores; jaws with outer row of pointed conical teeth, inner band of simple teeth; gill rakers short, slender 10; no spines in fins; dorsal fin short based, its origin distinctly behind anal fin origin, 8-9 rays; anal fin with 3rd fin ray branched, 11 (9-12) rays; dorsal and anal fins longer in male; pectoral with narrow base, rounded, inserted low on side, 15-16 rays; pelvics inserted well behind pectoral base; tail base depth <13% of SL; tail fin rounded; small smooth scales, 29-32 midlateral rows; 14-16 scales around tail base; sexes similar in shape; lateral line reduced to a series of pits along side of body.

Pale yellow, with minute dark specks along scale edges forming a cross-hatched pattern; both sexes with 2 rows of 15-30 dark, scale-sized spots along flank; a dark blotch on upper operculum.

Reaches 6.5 cm.

Brackish streams and bays.

Depth range: 0-1 m.

The northern Gulf of Mexico.