The Percidae are a family of ray-finned fish, part of the order Perciformes, which are found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The majority are Nearctic, but there are also Palearctic species. The family contains more than 200 species in 11 genera. The perches, and their relatives are in this family; well-known species include the walleye, sauger, ruffe, and three species of perch. However, small fish known as darters are also a part of this family.
Ammocrypta is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish, commonly known as the sand darters, which is classified in the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae which also includes the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. The species in the genus occur in eastern North America in Canada and the continental United States.
Crystallaria is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fish which is classified in the subfamily Etheostomatinae, commonly known as the darters, part of the family Percidae which also includes the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. They are found in the Mississippi River basin from Ohio to Minnesota and in southern Mississippi, northern Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma, and on the Gulf Slope of Escambia, Mobile Bay, and the Pearl River drainages. They have now been extirpated from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois.
Percina burtoni, the blotchside logperch or blotchside darter, is a small, endangered 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 United States and classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
The bluemask 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 a federally listed endangered species of the United States. This fish was not formally described until 2009, but it was added to the US Endangered Species List in 1993. During breeding, the male has bright blue patches on its head and other areas. This fish is found only in the Caney Fork River system, a tributary of the Cumberland River in Tennessee. The species name akatulo comes from the Cherokee for "mask", referring to the solid blue coloration on the lower face of the fish.
The Cumberland snubnose 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. This species is found it the middle Cumberland River drainage in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. It is absent in reaches above the Big South Fork, rare in North Carolina, and absent in western tributaries of the Tennessee River. While research on the ecology of E. atripinne is not extensive, what is known is they are usually found in small to medium freshwater streams in gravel riffle areas where their eggs can attach to the substrate and be left unguarded. E. atripinne can be found within a wide range of depths in its environment, leading its being classified as benthopelagic. While its global status is secure, the American Fisheries Society labels it with a status of “Special Concern”.
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. This lifestyle which is so dependent upon the benthic architecture of the stream is highly impacted by disturbance, which can be the result of increased or decreased flow from dams, introduction of polluted debris, or particulate size change due to erosion. Dams, in particular, pose a large threat to this species due to the effects of siltation, which can over time fill in streambed substrate gaps, destroying nesting sites and suffocating any eggs already laid. In addition, different species and subspecies of darter are highly adapted to a given substrate size, which insinuates that this habitat homogenization could result in a negative impact on the existent E. basilare subspecies diversity and on the darter ecological balance as a whole.
The orangefin 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 Barren River and Green River systems in Tennessee and Kentucky.
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.
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".
Nothonotus microlepidum, the smallscale 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. It occurs in the lower Cumberland River drainage in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. It inhabits shallow riffles with gravel substrates in small rivers. Breeding habits of the smallscale darter are typical of the E. maculatum group in that females deposit large masses of eggs on the undersides of rocks to be protected by the males. This species is a fairly large, deep-bodied fish with dark background coloration mixed with bright red spots scattered alongside the body. Nuptial males of this species also have deep green fins with orange margins on the spinous dorsal and caudal fins, with the soft dorsal fins having a dark coloration moving marginally to yellow-orangish center with black margins. This species can reach a length of 7.2 centimetres (2.8 in) TL though most only reach about 4.8 centimetres (1.9 in).
The sooty 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 the eastern United States. It is found in the Cumberland River basin where it is found only in the lower portion of the Caney Fork system and nearby tributaries in central Tennessee. It inhabits streams and creeks occurring in pools and their nearby riffles. This species can reach a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 in) TL though most only reach about 5 centimetres (2.0 in).
The bloodfin 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.
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.
The Cumberland darter is a rare 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 Kentucky and Tennessee in the United States, where it occurs in the upper Cumberland River tributaries above Cumberland Falls. It was federally listed as an endangered species in the US on August 9, 2011.
The striped 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 the lower Cumberland River drainage in Kentucky and Tennessee, in the upper Caney Fork system in central Tennessee; and in Rockcastle River and nearby streams in eastern Kentucky. It inhabits rocky pools of headwaters, creeks and small to medium river. This species can reach a length of 7.8 cm (3.1 in), though most only reach about 4.8 cm (1.9 in).
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.
The Kentucky 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, where it occurs in the upper Green and Gasper River systems in Kentucky. It inhabits rocky pools and adjacent riffles of creeks and small rivers. It has a diet that mainly consists of mayflies, larval blackflies, midges and occasionally various insect larvae. This species can reach a length of 6.5 cm (2.6 in).
The Tennessee 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, where it occurs in the Tennessee River drainage from western Virginia to western Tennessee. It also occurs in the upper Bluestone River drainage in western Virginia. It inhabits current-swept rocky pools and adjacent riffles of creeks and small to medium rivers. This species can reach a length of 6 cm (2.4 in).
Etheosomatidae is a species rich subfamily of freshwater ray-finned fish, the members of which are commonly known as the darters. The subfamily is part of the family Percidae which also includes the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. The family is endemic to North America. It consists of 3-5 different genera and well over 200 species.
