Fathead Minnow
Pimephales promelas
This short, stout minnow (length to 73mm) has a pronounced belly and blunt snout. Females and juveniles have dark backs with silvery sides. Breeding males are larger than females, are very dark in colour with breeding tubercles on head. Lifespan is approximately 3 years. Widely distributed in many different habitats but prefers calm waters such as ponds. Feeds on algae, organic detritus, insect larvae (especially mosquitoes) and zooplankton. Spawning is occurs from spring to late summer on the underside horizontal structure such as logs or stones. Males select a spawning site and then seek out a female which they herd to the nest site to spawn. After spawning, the female is driven away and another is sought. The nest will contain the eggs from a number of different females in various stages of development. Eggs will hatch in 4 to 6 days, depending on water temperature. The male aggressively guards the nest site during this period. This species is very prolific and has the capability of producing over 200,000 fish per acre, making it an ideal forage species in ponds containing larger predatory fish.