Cypress darter

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Cypress darter
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species:
E. proeliare
Binomial name
Etheostoma proeliare
(O. P. Hay, 1881)
Synonyms [2]
  • Microperca proeliarisO. P. Hay, 1881

The cypress darter (Etheostoma proeliare) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to fresh waters of the central and eastern United States. Its range includes drainages from the Choctawhatchee River, Florida, to the San Jacinto River, Texas, as well as the Mississippi River basin from southern Illinois and eastern Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico. It inhabits vegetated margins of swamps and lakes, and backwater habitats during the summer, while in winter it moves to flooded riffles and backwater bayous. It feeds mostly on small crustaceans, as well as insects and their larvae. Spawning takes place during spring and summer, with clusters of up to three eggs being laid, often stuck to the surface of dead leaves. The cypress darter has a very wide range and its population trend seems to be stable. It is a common species with numerous sub-populations, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Contents

Distribution

The cypress darter can be found across the Gulf Coastal plain of southern North America, in regions from the Colorado River of eastern Texas through the Choctawhatchee River of eastern Alabama, north to the Fall Line, and upstream along the Arkansas River valley in eastern Oklahoma. They prefer living in vegetated margins of swamps and lakes and slow-moving streams with silt or sand bottoms and leaf-laden water. [3] It inhabits backwater habitats during the summer; in winter, flooded riffles and backwater bayous, and lowland lakes are ideal macrohabitats for the cypress darter. For example, in Texas, it can be found in streams limited to the extreme east, including the Red River, Sabine Lake, Galveston Bay, and the Colorado River. No current information points to the decrease in any population of the cypress darter across the southeast.

Ecology

The diet of the cypress darter includes many food sources; it feeds more heavily on small crustaceans and less heavily on insects other than chironomids, probably a function of its small body and mouth, which makes ingestion of large insects (e.g., caddisflies and stoneflies) difficult, and the habitat where it lives. [4] Since the cypress darter lives in slow-moving, leaf-laden, shallow water, crustaceans will be more common and are a viable food source. Insects such as stoneflies prefer faster-moving water with rocky substrates, so are not often found in the cypress darters' habitats. E. proeliare will also feed on midge larvae, isopods, amphipods, and may fly nymphs. [2] Concerning the cypress darter's leaf laden habitat and slow moving water, the pH of the water it lives in will be lower due to the process of decomposition of the leaves and vegetation present, and the water temperature will be warmer from the natural insulation caused by the vegetation and lack of fast-moving water which carries the heat out. In addition to the cypress darter's habitat, the interactions with its community are quite competitive and dangerous. For example, in Max Creek, Illinois, the competition observed with E. proeliare was with E. chlorosomum and E. gracile. Apparently, these three species all lay their eggs on vegetation and are found in the same swampy, silt- or sand-bottom, leaf-laden waters. Some of the fish that prey on the cypress darter include Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis megalotis, Centrarchus macropterus, and Cottus caroline. Humans may hinder E. proeliare’s abundance by polluting its habitat with toxic runoff from paved roads and silt from logging causing erosion around streams.

Lifecycle

The cypress darter’s reproductive interval has been reported to be active from early January through mid-April across the southeastern US. [5] Eggs are laid by the female most commonly on dead leaves, with the male attached behind her to release his sperm onto them once laid. Eggs are laid 15-20 cm apart in groups of one to three. As many as 45 eggs have been counted on one leaf. The male does not guard the eggs. The exact number of times the cypress darter will reproduce per season is unknown, but the females have been known to mate with more than one male if the population count in the area is high. The eggs of the cypress darter have an indentation in them when first laid. The indentation disappears during the interval from fertilization to early cleavage. This is believed to be caused by “water hardening, which is changes in the characteristics of the egg plasma membrane, with resultant redistribution of ions and water across the membrane”. [6] Once the egg hatches, the cypress darter requires a year to reach its sexual maturity. Human-induced water pollution affects the lifecycle of the cypress darter significantly, by degrading the waters where it reproduces. For example, without using the proper methods of a clean logging operation, slow-moving streams where E. proeliare spawns can be choked with mud, silt, and harmful debris from erosion and logging road runoffs. With a silt-choked stream, the eggs will not be able to breath, and this can kill them along with their parents.

Management

Currently, the cypress darter is not listed as threatened or federally endangered by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the population is known as secured throughout the southern United States. [7] Since so little is known about E. proeliare, besides the fact they are prospering in the south, no known management practices are specifically being used on the cypress darter. Best management practices (BMPs) are practical, effective, methods which prevent the movement of nutrients, sediments, and other pollutants from the land to surface or ground water. [8] BMPs protect water quality from potential adverse effects of silvicultural activities such as forest management, construction of roads, log landings, and skid trails. Most all the erosion when dealing with forestry operations occurs from poor road construction and logging practices. [9] When topsoil is disturbed, torn apart, or compacted, the natural filtering action the soil provides is reduced, along with surface water absorption. Harvesting trees, however, does not cause erosion, since the roots support the soil and keep it in place. The soil may be disturbed and begin erosion if the tree is hauled out in a destructive or unprofessional way. [10] [ full citation needed ]

Recommendations for managing the cypress darter would be to use BMPs and streamside management zones in areas where known populations of the species exist.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluemask darter</span> Species of fish

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The corrugated darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States only known from Caney Fork, Tennessee, where it has been shown to have as many as five subgroups. They are active hunters which prey on insects, fry, and possibly young snails. Multiple species and subspecies of these darters can coexist where substrate is varied, so this must be carefully preserved to accommodate many similar species. With the warming of spring, E. basilare enters its breeding cycle and males develop their dimorphic coloration. Like most darters, it hugs the stream bed, using its body shape and fin posture to maintain its position.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluebreast darter</span> Species of fish

The bluebreast darter is a small species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States from New York and Illinois to Tennessee and North Carolina.

The cherry darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the upper Caney Fork system of the Cumberland River drainage in the U.S. state of Tennessee.

<i>Etheostoma gracile</i> Species of fish

Etheostoma gracile, the slough darter, is a small species of ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae which includes the perches, ruffs and pike-perches. It inhabits slow to moderately flowing waters and with substrates that are predominantly mud, silt, or sand. Major food sources include chironomids, copepods, and cladocerans, as well as mayflies in the spring. Adults reach 35 to 50 mm total length. It is one of the 324 species of fish found in Tennessee.

The stripetail darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States. It is found in small rivers and streams in the states of Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Males are a golden-orange color with black barring on the fins, and grow to a length of about 2.8 in (7 cm). This fish feeds on midge larvae and other small invertebrates. It breeds in the spring; eggs are attached to the substrate, often under slab rocks, where they are guarded by the male. The population trend of this fish seems to be stable and it is a common species with numerous sub-populations over a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<i>Etheostoma rufilineatum</i> Species of fish

Etheostoma rufilineatum, the redline darter, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swannanoa darter</span> Species of fish

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The Tippecanoe darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States.

The wounded darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States. Its range includes the upper Tennessee River drainage, western Virginia, western North Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. Its typical habitat is among boulders or coarse rubble and cobble, often with overhanging ledges, in medium to large slow-moving rivers. It feeds on small insect larvae, especially midge larvae. Spawning occurs when the water warms up in late spring. Females deposit clutches of adhesive eggs on the underside of rock ledges or slabs, and the male guards the nest. The population trend of this fish seems to be decreasing slowly but it is a relatively common species with numerous sub-populations, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". The greatest threat comes from impoundment, and a management plan is in place, including captive breeding.

<i>Etheostoma zonale</i> Species of fish

Etheostoma zonale, the banded darter, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States. It is mainly found in the Mississippi Basin, ranging from the Verdigris River in Kansas eastward to the Allegheny River in New York, and from the Minnesota River in Minnesota southward to the Ouachita River in Arkansas and the Tennessee River in Alabama. Its typical habitat in small and medium-sized rivers is riffles over cobble or gravel, rock slabs, and small boulders. It feeds on the riverbed on small insect larvae and is itself eaten by birds and larger fish. Males become more colorful and become territorial before spawning which takes place in spring. The females attach the eggs to waterweed. The population trend of this fish seems to be stable, it is a common species with numerous sub-populations over a wide range, no major threats have been identified and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackbanded darter</span> Species of fish

The blackbanded darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to the river systems of the southeastern United States where it is found in the states of Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. It lives over sandy or gravelly bottoms in smaller rivers and streams and its color varies depending on the different habitats in which it lives. It feeds on small insect larvae and is itself preyed on by larger fish. It spawns between February and June depending on locality. It is generally a common fish throughout most of its range.

The bronze darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is restricted to the Coosa and Tallapoosa River systems in Georgia, Alabama, and southeastern Tennessee in the United States. It feeds on insect larvae and other small invertebrates, and spawns in April and May. It is a common fish within its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified its conservation status as being of "least concern". However, it is susceptible to environmental disturbance and an ongoing management plan has been put in place to protect its habitat.

The sickle darter is a recently identified freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is closely related to a well-known darter, Percina macrocephala. Discovered in 2007 in the upper Tennessee River drainage, the sickle darter is a small ,slender bodied, freshwater and benthopelagic fish that most likely feeds on small crayfish and mayflies since it shares a large mouth and long snout with its sister species. The known distribution of the sickle darter is the upper drainage of the Tennessee River of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. It is distinguished from all other Percina darters except its sister species P. macrocephala by a dark suborbital bar and a black bar subtending a medial black spot on the base of the caudal fin. It stays in mostly rocky, sandy, or silty substrates in clear creeks or small rivers in the Appalachian Mountains. The sickle darter spawns in late winter in gravel shoals. It also has large scales which make it different from macrocephala. It's known to be extirpated from most of its home habitat mainly because of agricultural practices that cause siltation and turbidity which causes most populations of the sickle darter to be widely scattered. But where it is found, it can be observed with regularity. Taking all this into consideration, the sickle darter does not have a formal conservation status under any federal or state law although its closely related species is considered a species of concern by the TWRA. Future management plans should include finding more locations of the sickle darter and decreasing further habitat destruction in known distributions by stating it as a fish of concern by state law.

<i>Etheostoma variatum</i> Species of fish

Etheostoma variatum, the variegate darter, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to the eastern United States where it occurs primarily in the Ohio River basin; it is present in the states of Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky with a small population in Virginia. It is a large darter, growing to 10 cm (4 in) long, orange-red with black vertical barring on its body, and horizontal barring on its front dorsal fin. Its typical habitat is swift-flowing riffles with rubble, boulder and gravel. No major threats have been identified for this fish and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenthroat darter</span> Species of fish

The greenthroat darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is found in Colorado, Guadalupe and Nueces River drainages in Texas; and in Pecos River system in New Mexico.

<i>Nothonotus</i> Genus of fishes

Nothonotus is a genus or subgenus of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the southeastern United States. First proposed as a sub-genus of Etheostoma in 1988, there is still debate regarding the appropriate taxonomic rank of Nothonotus in the literature. Darter species comprise more than 180 of the Percidae taxa.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe (2013). "Etheostoma proeliare". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202517A18232403. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202517A18232403.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Etheostoma proeliare" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. ↑ Lang, Nicholas J.; Echelle, Anthony A.Novel Phylogeographic Patterns in a Lowland Fish, Etheostoma proeliare (Percidae). Southeastern Naturalist. 2011, Vol. 10 Issue 1, p133-144. 12p.
  4. ↑ Burr, B.M. and M.S. Ellinger. 1980. Distinctive egg morphology and its relationship to development in the percid fish Etheostoma proeliare. Copeia 1980(3):556-559
  5. ↑ Hubbs, C. 1985. Darter Reproductive Seasons. Copeia, 1985(1):56-68.
  6. ↑ Burr, B.M. and M.S. Ellinger. 1980. Distinctive egg morphology and its relationship to development in the percid fish Etheostoma proeliare. Copeia 1980(3):556-559
  7. ↑ Hassan-Williams, Carla and Timothy H.. Bonner. Etheostoma proeliare Archived 2012-02-13 at the Wayback Machine . Texas State University-San Marcos, Biology Department / Aquatic Station . 30 Oct. 2012.
  8. ↑ Scforestry.org (1976) BMPs. [online] Available at: "BMPS". Archived from the original on 2012-05-20. Retrieved 2012-11-18. [Accessed: 15 Nov 2012].
  9. ↑ State.sc.us (n.d.) SCFC Best Management Practices-SMZ. [online] Available at: http://www.state.sc.us/forest/rbsmz.htm [Accessed: 15 Nov 2012].
  10. ↑ Décamps and Naiman 2005
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