Salamander larvae motion

[mechanic380]

I have been observing a swampy pond in the woods behind a dam and last night saw thousands of what looked like minnows. I may or may not go back and net some to get a better look. I have never seen sal larvae move and I want to know what their motion is like. Do they dart like minnows? Do they in any way appear to have fins based on their movement and flutering by sides? I am fairly sure they are minows but I find it odd they are even in this pond. Life finds a way I guess.

 

[Nathan]

Salamander larvae swim with their limbs pressed against their sides, so you wouldn't have mistaken those for fins, but you might have seen the gills. They wriggle the whole body in a serpentine motion when startled, much like tadpoles; they do not have the anatomical features of fish that let them keep their body straight and just use the tail for propulsion. They probably were fish. I'll make a further guess and say they were likely mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), which are often found in very shallow, well-vegetated water.