Family UMBRIDAE 



THE MUDMINNOW FAMILY 



Mudminnows are soft-rayed fishes with rather heavy bodies, com- 

 pressed posteriorly. The large head is flattened above; the mouth is 

 medium sized, with teeth on the jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. The 

 upper jaw is not protractile; the maxillary bones form the posterior 

 part of the margin of the upper jaw. The gill-rakers are not well devel- 

 oped. The branchiostegal rays number 6 to 9. The pseudobranchiae are 

 not well developed. The cycloid scales cover the head and body; no 

 lateral line is present. Only one genus and one species are found in 

 Minnesota. 



GENUS Umbra Miiller 



This genus contains two American and one European species. One 

 of the American species is found in the Great Lakes and Upper Missis- 

 sippi drainages. 



WESTERN MUDMINNOW 



Umbra limi (Kirtland) 



The western mudminnow (Figure 30) is dark, sometimes rich 

 brown in color, and much mottled. The body has 14 narrow, light cross- 

 bars and a dark bar at the base of the caudal fin. The head is contained 

 3.75 times in the body length and the depth is contained 4.25 times in 



- *c*- 



::S^ 



Figure 30. Western mudminnow, IJvihra limi. 3 inches long. 



the length. The dorsal fin, which has 14 rays, is inserted rather poste- 

 riorly, but the first ray is farther forward than the first ray of the anal. 

 The anal fin has 8 rays, the ventral fins 6. This species seldom exceeds 

 4 inches in length. 



The mudminnow ranges from Minnesota through the Great Lakes 

 drainage and south to Kansas and Tennessee. It is widely distributed 



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