Project Description
Mummichog
Fundulus heteroclitus
Range/Geographical Distribution: The Gulf of Saint Lawrence south to northeast Florida.
Habitat: Saltwater marshes and tidal creeks, also will enter fresh water.
Description: A small sexually dimorphic fish. Males are olive above and lighter below with vertical stripes on their sides. Females are silver/yellow and lack stripes.
Size: Can reach five inches in length.
Food: Omnivore; feeds on plants, crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish.
Breeding: Spawn in the summer during the new and full moon. Eggs sink and stick to shells and plant matter. Fry hatch in nine to 18 days and resemble adults.
Predators: Larger predatory fishes, herons, egrets, and gulls.
Conservation Status: No legal status.
Interesting Facts: The mummichog is often used as bait and for experimentation due to its hardiness.
On the Coast: Mummichogs are an important food fish for coastal Georgia’s larger fish, wading birds, and sea birds. These fish are also an indicator species in polluted water ways.