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Striped Killifish 



Striped Killifish 

 Fundulus majalis (Walbaum) 



Female 



Color: Adult male: back olive; sides, belly, and pectoral, 



pelvic, and anal fins yellow; 15-20 black vertical bars on 



sides; black spot on last rays of dorsal fin. Adult female: 



back olive; silvery below; usually 2 or 3 black longitudinal 



stripes on sides. Young of both sexes have 7-12 vertical 



black bars. 



Distribution: Massachusetts to Florida. 



Size: Reaches a length of 8 inches. 



General Information: Found in protected waters of bays 



and mouths of rivers, usually in small schools of several 



hundred fish. Spawning occurs from April to September. 



The Striped Killifish feeds on a variety of small aquatic 



animals including shellfish, small shrimp-like organisms, 



and fish. 



Economic Importance: Probably an important source of 



food for other fishes in some regions. 



