CENTRAL MUDMINNOW

Central Mudminnow (Umbra limi)

A species restricted to the glaciated regions of Ohio, the Central Mudminnow is a physostomous (meaning able to breathe atmospheric oxygen) species belonging to the family Umbridae.

The mudminnow is a resident of undisturbed sections of streams characterized by clear waters with low gradients, substrates composed primarily of organic debris, muck, peat, and dense aquatic vegetation.

They may also be found in old oxbow pools, springfeed pools, glacial lakes, and in older beaver impoundments.

The presence of a soft, mucky substrate is vital to the mudminnow because it buries itself in the stream bottom to escape predators and aestivate during droughts. Numerous populations have been extirpated as a result of dredging, channelization, and ditching projects which have altered or destroyed their habitat.