Okefenokee Pygmy Sunfish ( Elassoma okefenokee)

E

Erratic-Fish-Finatic

New Member
Hey guys, I'm going to acquire a breeding pair of Okefenokee pygmy sunfish (Elassoma okefenokee). I don't know much about the species as the information on them is quite limited. Even searching around the web, hasn't really brought up any sufficient info. What I do know is they were caught from the Florida Everglades and quite rare to get in Canada. They inhabit swamps, heavily vegetated sloughs and small sluggish streams, usually over mud. Oviparous, eggs are deposited in aquatic vegetation. Max size is 1.25", males being more colourful than female. During courtship, the males will circle around the female and dance, in a jig like manner while waving their pelvic and pectoral fins, while their dorsal and anal fin flutters open and closed repeatedly. During courtship males will turn jet black with saphire blue stripping throughout their bodies and fins. Females will remain a tan colour with black patterning. These fish can also be found in: Lower Altamaha River drainage, Georgia south to central part of peninsular Florida, and west to Choctawhatchee River drainage, Florida, USA. Don't really know much about the water chemistry in the Everglades, but I believe the water may be slightly salty/brackish. Here's a few links to some pictures of males and females of this species:

Males, can be identified by their blue colouration

http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/ThumbnailsSummary.php?ID=3365#

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/medaka-ken/k.t/gazou/page.top.file/elassoma-okefenokee.sj-04.0.jpg

http://www.thedigitalfishroom.com/Photos/okeM-3.jpg

Female, quite drab in colour compares to their male counterparts

http://gallery.nanfa.org/d/19522-5/...+Alexander+Springs+Run+Creek_+10-4-09_+NT.jpg
 
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