Pimephales promelas

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Pimephales promelas
Pimephales promelas (male)

Pimephales promelas (male)

Systematics
without rank: Otophysa
Order : Carp-like (Cypriniformes)
Subordination : Carp fish-like (Cyprinoidei)
Family : White fish (Leuciscidae)
Genre : Pimephales
Type : Pimephales promelas
Scientific name
Pimephales promelas
Rafinesque , 1844

Pimephales promelas , the American fathead minnow , is a species of fish from the carp family that is native to North America.

Occurrence

Young fattening minnow

The American fathead minnow occurs in North America between 29 ° N (Mexico) and 61 ° N (Alaska).

In Germany, the species was identified as a neozoon on the Upper Weser and in Central Hesse.

description

The average length is 7.3 cm.

The first visible ray of the dorsal fin has developed into a thick, ossified spine. The mouth is terminal, the sideline is only visible in the first half. The beginnings of the dorsal fin and the ventral fin are largely on top of each other.

Fin formula : dorsal 8, anal 7.

Way of life

The males live territorial and defend their brood. The species is named after its transformation at spawning time, when the head of the male becomes significantly thicker on the forehead.

American thick-headed minnows also tolerate brackish conditions. They feed on algae and detritus .

Pimephales promelas can release the alarm substance hypoxanthine-3- N- oxide .

use

The American minnow is too small to be used as a food fish. However, the species has been used for ecotoxicological tests for decades .

The EPA has created a database with LC 50 values ​​for over 600 chemicals.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Pimephales promelas on Fishbase.org (English)
  2. ↑ a b c Dickkopf minnow (Pimephales promelas) , deutschlands-natur.de
  3. ↑ Harold W. Manner, Casimira M. Dewese: Early embryology of the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas rafinesque . In: The Anatomical Record . tape 180 , no. 1 , September 1974, p. 99-109 , doi : 10.1002 / ar.1091800110 .
  4. ↑ Gerald T. Ankley, Daniel L. Villeneuve: The fathead minnow in aquatic toxicology: Past, present and future . In: Aquatic Toxicology . tape 78 , no. 1 , 2006, p. 91-102 , doi : 10.1016 / j.aquatox.2006.01.018 .

Web links

Commons : Pimephales promelas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files