Fish ID

Type: Tidal
Region: Southern
Location: Patuxent River

My father always said "If you don't know - ask an expert." I caught this little guy earlier today, he and about hundred of his brothers and sisters were very busy stealing my bait while I was on the Patuxent. I figure he is some type of minnow but being a fish nerd I'd like to know for sure.

DNR Response: It looks like a female Mummichog, Fundulus heterclitus; they are a very common bait fish in the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal bays. The males are smaller and more brilliantly colored; fishermen often call them killifish. They are a very important link in the food chain of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal bay waters, providing a food source for wading birds, larger fish and blue crabs.