Species: Fundulus grandissimus, Giant Killifish

Fundulus grandissimus Hubbs, 1936

Giant Killifish

Body moderately slender, compressed; head flattened above, with straight upper profile; snout long, ~2 times eye diameter; cover of eye not continuous with head skin; front nostril not tubular; mouth large, slightly oblique, opens at front, protrusible, top jaw twisted, lower jaw projecting; 12 pores under chin; jaws with outer row of pointed conical teeth, inner band of simple teeth; gill rakers 8-11; no spines in fins; dorsal fin short based, its origin over or slightly before anal fin origin, 10 (10-12) rays; anal fin with 3rd fin ray branched, 9 (9-12) rays, females with a well developed fleshy pouch at its front base that is >10% of fin base; pectoral with narrow base, rounded, inserted low on side; pelvics inserted well behind pectoral base; least depth of tail base >13% SL; tail fin rounded; small smooth scales, 37-41 midlateral rows; scales before dorsal fin 21-25; scales before eye absent; lateral line reduced to a series of pits along side of body.

Male blue to olive, with light vertical streaks and light spots; females are olive; median fins of both sexes blue, with light spots.

Reaches 20 cm.

Fresh to brackish water.

Depth range: 0-1 m.

The southern Gulf of Mexico.