Labidesthes sicculus

Labidesthes sicculus

Labidesthes sicculus is a small, up to 13 cm long expectant freshwater fish from the family of Atherinopsiden ( New World silversides ).

Features

Labidesthes sicculus is slender and elongated, the mouth is terminal. The fish are almost transparent with a light olive back. The scales on the back side have dark edges, so that a grid pattern. A narrow black stripe extends between first and second dorsal fin and on to the caudal peduncle. The sides of the body, the gill cover and the head underside are silvery - white with iridescent blue - green spots. The underside of the mandible is black. There is a silvery band which is narrower towards the rear and is often backed with black pigment on the flanks. Sexually mature fish have yellow to orange tarnished fins and a red mouth. The intestine is short and S-shaped bent. The relationship between intestinal length and total length is 0.5.

• Fins formula: Dorsal 3-8/9-13, Anal > 20/20-27; Pectoral 12-13; Ventral 6
• Dandruff formula MLR > 60
• Reuse gill rake: 24-29.

Dissemination

The fish live from the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes (except Lake Superior ) via the power of the Mississippi River south to Louisiana, and from the basin of the Santee River in South Carolina to Galveston Bay in Texas. North of South Carolina they come east of the Appalachians no longer present.

Way of life

Labidesthes sicculus lives on the surface of lakes, ponds, streams, small and large rivers, usually in open water and feed on zooplankton, including copepods, daphnia and mosquito larvae.