 Due to difficulty in sampling the dense mud and thick plants characterizing "F. luciae"'s preferred habitat, the species was once thought to be rare; however, more recent studies have shown that it can be locally abundant.Spotfin killifish are distributed along the east coast of the United States, ranging from Massachusetts to Georgia.The spotfin killifish is listed as a species of "least concern" (LC) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.