Eyetail Bowfin
Amia ocellicauda
- Class
- Ray-finned fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 1,323
- Most observed in
- 🇺🇸 United States
Description
Amia ocellicauda, the eyespot bowfin or emerald bowfin, is a species of bowfin native to North America. Originally described by John Richardson from Lake Huron in 1836, it was synonymized with Amia calva until genetic work in 2022 revealed them to be separate species. It differs from Amia calva by having fewer dentary teeth (only 15 compared to 16 or 17 of A. calva) and its interopercle membrane bone being smaller. It also has a more pronounced eyespot, has a longer body, has a less red hue, and males have green coloration during the breeding season. The two species split approximately 1 to 2.5 million years ago during the mid-Pliocene. It is hypothesized that there are still several more undescribed species of Amia to be described. The vernacular name eyetail bowfin, was proposed by Brownstein et al.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Amia ocellicauda”.