Goldstripe darter

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Goldstripe darter
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species:
E. parvipinne
Binomial name
Etheostoma parvipinne

The goldstripe darter (Etheostoma parvipinne) 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 where it is found in Gulf Slope streams from the Colorado River drainage in Texas [2] to the Flint River in Georgia, the Atlantic Slope in Ocmulgee River system, Georgia, and the Mississippi embayment north as far as southeastern Missouri and western Kentucky. It is typically found in small springs, streams, and creeks with aquatic and marginal vegetation and detritus. The female spawns on multiple occasions between about mid-March and June, sticking the adhesive eggs to plants, gravel and the sides of rocks. The goldstripe darter is a common species with a wide range and numerous sub-populations, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Contents

Distribution

The goldstripe darter inhabits the Gulf Coastal Plain, including parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, and lower Mississippi drainages westward as far as the Colorado River Basin in Texas. [3] [2] Most recently, goldstripe darters have been confirmed in these drainages: [4]

Other than occasional passing mention, little historical records exist of goldstripe darter distribution, making it difficult to determine in what ways, if any, the distribution has changed over time. Populations are currently believed to be stable. [4]

Ecology

Habitat

The goldstripe darter is typically found in small springs, streams, and creeks with vegetative cover, whether that be aquatic vegetation, algae beds, or detritus. [5] [6] [7] Preferred substrates include sand, small gravel, and rubble. [6] Goldstripe darters do not tend to be found in rivers or streams wider than 15 feet or those with large gravel or mud substrates. [7]

The goldstripe darter's preferred pH seems to be between 6.1 and 6.5. [7] However, a population has been found that can withstand pH as low as 2.9. [8] It prefers temperate climates, located between 38°N and 31°N in latitude. [9]

Feeding

The goldstripe darter feeds on midge larvae, dipteran pupae, caddisfly larvae, dytiscid beetle larvae, and small crayfish. [10]

Associated species

Fishes most often found with the goldstripe darter include: [7]

It is reasonable to believe some of these species, particularly those in the genus Etheostoma, may compete with the goldstripe darter for resources.

Lifecycle

At adulthood, goldstripe darters typically range from 35 to 55 mm in length. [11] Two of the largest goldstripe darters recorded were a female measuring 61.8 mm [7] and a male measuring 67 mm. [9]

Reproduction

Spawning likely occurs from mid-March through June. [11] During spawning, male body color changes from uniform olive-brown or olive-brown with darker blotches, to brown with black vertical bars. The black teardrop darkens and eye color becomes intensely red. Pelvic and anal fins darken from dusky to uniform black, and dorsal fin becomes intensely black. [12]

Males perform stationary, lateral displays with erect dorsal fins during aggressive encounters with other males, but no elaborate courting displays were observed between males and females. Males pursue females, waiting for them to spawn. Goldstripe darters mate with multiple partners during the breeding season and do not seem to give any parental care. Multiple spawnings occur each year. [12]

Goldstripe darter eggs are strongly adhesive and are attached singly to the spawning substrate. The eggs will be attached to plants, gravel, and occasionally on the sides of rocks. Goldstripe darters do not bury their eggs. Clutch size is estimated at 66, and average egg size is roughly 0.86 mm in diameter. [12]

Management

Presently, the goldstripe darter is not considered endangered. [13] Populations are thought to be stable. [4] Thus, no current management programs are specifically designed for the goldstripe darter, though it does benefit from general riparian protection and buffers. [14]

Recommendations

Few data exist for the historical distribution of the goldstripe darter, so determining whether the goldstripe has lost any of its former range is difficult. To spot any declines in the species in the future, periodic assessments of abundances should be conducted in small streams throughout its range. Goldstripe darters are vulnerable to seining and electroshocking for sampling purposes. [14]

The goldstripe darter is likely to be vulnerable to sedimentation from logging, channelization, or agricultural runoff. Management plans designed to maintain and develop forested riparian zones adjacent to first-order streams would assist with its conservation. [15] Because goldstripe darter populations tend to be isolated from each other, recolonization would be difficult after a disturbance. [14]

Related Research Articles

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The saddleback 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. This darter species is widespread, occurring from the Escambia River drainage west to the Mississippi River basin and as far north as the Wabash River historically. Some populations have been reported in the Tennessee River drainage. The saddleback darter is aptly named as it has 5 saddle-like patterns on its dorsum, with the first occurring near the first dorsal fin and the fifth near the caudal penduncle. Adults can attain a maximum size of about 3 inches or 7.8 centimeters. The saddleback darter typically occurs over sand and gravel runs of creeks and small to medium-sized rivers and is sometimes found in very shallow water. This darter's diet consists of invertebrates such as caddisfly larvae, beetles, mayflies, and stoneflies. The saddleback darter deposits eggs over sand and gravel shoals during the spring. This species has an average lifespan between 2 and 3 years.

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 around 90.5 mm (3.56 in) in length and is a 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.

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe (2013). "Etheostoma parvipinne". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202512A18231495. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202512A18231495.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Dautreuil, Virginia L.E.; Craig, Cody A.; Bonner, Timothy H. (2016-09-01). "Persistence of Etheostoma parvipinne (Goldstripe Darter) in a Single Tributary on the Periphery of Its Range" . Southeastern Naturalist. 15 (3): N28–N32. doi:10.1656/058.015.0310. ISSN   1528-7092.
  3. ↑ Hubbs, C., R.J. Edwards, and G.P. Garrett. 1991. An annotated checklist of the freshwater fishes of Texas, with keys to identification of species. Texas Journal of Science, Supplement 43(4):1-56.
  4. 1 2 3 Warren, M.L., Jr., B.M. Burr, S.J. Walsh, H.L. Bart, Jr., R.C. Cashner, D.A. Etnier, B.J. Freeman, B.R. Kuhajda, R.L. Mayden, H.W. Robison, S.T. Ross, and W.C. Starnes. 2000. Diversity, Distribution, and Conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States. Fisheries 25(10):7-29.
  5. ↑ Smith-Vaniz, W. F. 1968. Freshwater fishes of Alabama. Auburn Univ., Paragon Press, Montgomery, 211 pp.
  6. 1 2 Moore, G. A., and F. B. Cross. 1950. Additional Oklahoma fishes with validation of Poecilichthys parvipinnis (Gilbert and Swain). Copeia 1950: 139-148.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Robison, H. W. 1977. Distribution, habitat, variation and status of the goldstripe darter, Etheostoma parvipinne, in Arkansas. Southwestern Nat. 22(4):435-422.
  8. ↑ Robbins, Michael, Clark Rein, and Michael Volkin. 2003 The goldstripe darter and its tolerance to low pH in an east Texas pond. Texas Journal of Science, 55(1):86-89.
  9. 1 2 FishBase: Etheostoma Parvipinne. http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Etheostoma-parvipinne.html
  10. ↑ Etnier, D.A. and W.C. Starnes 1993 The fishes of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
  11. 1 2 Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Goldstripe Darter. http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/fishing/freshwater/fish/other/darters/goldstripe/ Archived 2012-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
  12. 1 2 3 Johnston, Carol E. 1994. Spawning Behavior of the Goldstripe Darter (Etheostoma parvipinne Gilbert and Swain) (Percidae). Copeia, Vol. 1994, No. 3 (Aug. 17, 1994), pp. 823-825 Published by: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1447204
  13. ↑ FWS Endangered Species List. http://www.fws.gov/endangered/
  14. 1 2 3 Georgia Department of Natural Resources: Etheostoma Parvipinne. http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/2623
  15. ↑ Texas Freshwater Fishes: Etheostoma Parvipinne. http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~tbonner/txfishes/etheostoma%20parvipinne.htm Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine
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