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Spring Pygmy Sunfish
Elassoma alabamae
The spring pygmy sunfish, Elassoma alabamae, is a species of pygmy sunfish endemic to springs in northern Alabama. It was historically known to occur in springs in North Alabama along the Tennessee River in Limestone and Lauderdale counties. The spring pygmy sunfish was first discovered in Cave Spring in Lauderdale County, Alabama in 1937 but in 1938, this site was flooded by the creation of the Pickwick Reservoir. The spring pygmy sunfish was considered extinct until its rediscovery in the Beaverdam Spring complex in 1973 by researchers from the University of Tennessee.
From the article Spring pygmy sunfish on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The spring pygmy sunfish is a small fish that rarely exceeds an inch long. Males and females exhibit different coloration. Breeding males are vividly colored. Overall the breeding male is very dark except for vertical, iridescent blue-green bars along the body and iridescent mottling on the cheek. Females are more muted in coloration when compared to the males.
Wikipedia: “Appearance”
Range & habitat
The preferred habitat for the spring pygmy sunfish is spring water, and associated spring-fed wetlands. The species is most abundant at the spring head and spring pool area.
Wikipedia: “Habitat”
What it does
Diet likely consists of small aquatic invertebrates such as amphipods, isopods, and larvae of mayflies, caddisflies, and midges.
Wikipedia: “Diet”
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
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In the stacks
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Every page naming Elassoma alabamae in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 99751.