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.
The crystal 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 small North American fish is found in small, moderate, and swift rivers in the drainage basins of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. It is now extirpated from a majority of its range along the Ohio River.
The eastern sand 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. The eastern sand darter is a relatively small fish, most plentiful in the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, as well as Lake Champlain and the Great Lakes. It prefers sandy-bottomed streams and sandy shoals in the lakes. The eastern sand darter feeds on larvae of black flies and other small insects in the water. They also feed on zooplankton in small portions since their small mouth size limits their gape ability. Its average body size is around 1.5-2 in long, and it breeds in the spring and summer in sandy-bottomed waters.
The sailfin shiner is a species of cyprinid fish endemic to the southeastern United States.
The longnose shiner is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Notropis.
The greenside 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 inhabits swift riffles in the eastern United States and southern Ontario.
The naked sand 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 south-eastern United States.
The western sand 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 central United States.
The mud 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 lowlands of the Mississippi River basin from Wisconsin and Minnesota south to Louisiana and East Texas. It is also found in the drainages of the Sabine and Neches Rivers of Texas and Louisiana. It can be found in slow-moving waters on riffles in rivers, as well as in creeks, swamps, lakes, and reservoirs. It mostly consumes the larvae of midges and blackflies. This species can reach a length of 7.1 cm (2.8 in), though most only reach a length of 5 cm (2.0 in).
The bluntnose 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 eastern North America where it is found in slower moving and still waters.
The swamp 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 goldstripe 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 where it is found in Gulf Slope streams from the Colorado River drainage in Texas 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".
Percina maculata, the blackside 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 a widespread inhabitant of streams and rivers in the Mississippi River watershed. Like other darters it prefers rocky riffles and sandy runs, but is tolerant of pools and still water as well. It is one of the 324 fish species found in Tennessee.
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.
Percina phoxocephala, the slenderhead 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 North America in the central Ohio and Mississippi River basins, to northeastern South Dakota and the Lake Winnebago system in Wisconsin, and as far south as the Red River in eastern Oklahoma and northeast Texas, typically in small to medium size rivers. It is a colorful species, with an average length of 6 to 9 centimeters. Males take on a deeper hue during the breeding season. It feeds on insect larvae and other small invertebrates, and spawns between April and June. It is a common fish with a very wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified its conservation status as being of "least concern".
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 speckled 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 central and southeastern United States. It occurs in the Mississippi River basin and through the Gulf Coast drainages. It is also found in the Clinch River and the Powell River. This species inhabits rocky or sandy pools in flowing waters up to the size of medium rivers with fast currents. It can reach a length of 6.1 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only reach about 4 centimetres (1.6 in).
The Savannah 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 Edisto, Combahee, Broad and Savannah River drainages in South Carolina and Georgia. It inhabits gravel riffles, gravel and sand runs of creeks and small rivers. This species can reach a length of 7.4 cm (2.9 in).
The southern sand 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 rivers draining into Mobile Bay in the southeastern United States where it inhabits sandy sections of flowing waters from streams to large rivers.
The Halloween darter is a small freshwater fish native to North America. It is found in Georgia and Alabama in the drainage basin of the Apalachicola River, specifically in the Flint River system and the Chattahoochee River system. It prefers shallow, fast-flowing areas with gravel bottoms in small and medium-sized rivers. It was first described in 2008, having not previously been distinguished from the Blackbanded darter (P. nigrofasciata), formerly thought to occur in the same watershed. Blackbanded darter has since been split again with Westfall's darter now recognised from the Apalachicola drainage. The species is somewhat variable, being generally blackish dorsally, with some individuals having indistinct saddle-like barring. Males have orange and dark lateral striping while females have dark stripes and a yellowish-green belly. At a maximum standard length of 101 mm (4 in), males are slightly larger than females, and both sexes develop distinctive orange barring on the edge of the first dorsal fin during the breeding season.
Ross, Stephen T. Inland Fishes of Mississippi. University Press of Mississippi, 2002. Print.
Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C.R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, Lea, N.E. Mandrak, R.L. Mayden, and J.S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of the fishes of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, 7th edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda Maryland.
