United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Spring pygmy sunfish
Occurrence: endemic
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Conway, K.W. and R.L. Mayden, 2006
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: protected | Ref: Conway, K.W. and R.L. Mayden, 2006
Uses: no uses
Comments: Found only in Moss Spring and (historically) adjacent springs in the middle Tennessee River drainage in Alabama (Ref. 51664). The population from which this species was first collected in 1937 from Cave Spring near Smithsonia, Lauderdale County is now extirpated. The same is true for another population that was discovered in the Pryor Springs system in 1914 (Ref. 58011). Known to be extinct until its rediscovery in 1973 along margins of a spring-fed lake within Beaverdam Swamp, Limestone County, and in several areas of the drainage including Moss Spring, Beaverdam Creek, and Lowes' Ditch (Ref. 58014). Type locality: Moss Spring run into Beaverdam creek, 1.4 mi. north of Greenbriar, Tennessee R. drainage, Limestone Co., Alabama (Ref. 51664). Status of threat: endangered; status declined since 1989. Criteria: 1,5 (http://fisc.er.usgs.gov/afs/) (Ref. 81264).
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Gilbert, C.R., 2004
National Database:

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Teleostei (teleosts) > Centrarchiformes (Basses) > Elassomatidae (Pygmy sunfishes)
Etymology: Elassoma: Greek, elasson = smaller + Greek, soma = body (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Subtropical

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North America: endemic to Moss Spring and (historically) adjacent springs in the middle Tennessee River drainage in Alabama, U.S.A.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 1 - 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-13; Anal spines: 1-3; Anal soft rays: 5 - 8. Transverse scale rows: 10-13. Distinguished from all other family members by having 3 or less dorsal spines (versus 7 or more), 6-7 broad dark bars along flanks (versus 7 or more), 16-18 peduncle scale rows (versus 18-24).

Found on sand, clay, mud and/or limestone substrate commonly associated with rooted, submerged vegetation (Ref. 58011). Oviparous, eggs are deposited in aquatic vegetation, preferably on strands of Ceratophyllum sp. when available (Ref. 58020).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Eggs are deposited in aquatic vegetation, preferably on strands of Ceratophyllum sp. when available (Ref. 58020).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Gilbert, C.R., 2004. Family Elassomatidae Jordan 1877. Pygmy sunfishes. Calif. Acad. Sci. Annotated Checklists of Fishes (33):5. (Ref. 51664)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Critically Endangered (CR) (B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv)); Date assessed: 28 November 2011

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm Total Length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.4 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax=1; Fec=65).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Elassoma alabamae Mayden, 1993