Spottail darter | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Percidae |
Genus: | Etheostoma |
Species: | E. squamiceps |
Binomial name | |
Etheostoma squamiceps D. S. Jordan, 1877 | |
The spottail darter (Etheostoma squamiceps) 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 the Ohio River basin and in the Red River system of the Cumberland River drainage. It inhabits rocky pools and nearby riffles of flowing waters up to the size of small rivers.
The spottail darter takes its common name from the three spots at the base of the caudal fin. [2] This species can reach a length of 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) TL though most only reach about 4.6 centimetres (1.8 in). [3]
The spottail darter inhabits quiet rocky pools of headwaters, creeks, and small rivers with either large flat rocks or with bedrock bottom; individuals hide in crevices and under ledges, and they may be in quiet riffles in late summer when water in pools is too low to provide cover. Eggs are laid on undersides of slab stones in shallow pools. [1]
The Spottail darter is currently of relatively low conservation concern and does not require significant additional protection or major management, monitoring, or research action. No major threats are known. [1]
The spottail darter was first formally described in 1877 by the American ichthyologist David Starr Jordan (1851–1931) with the type locality given as Russellville in Logan County, Kentucky. [4] The specific name is a compound of squamus meaning "scale" and ceps meaning "head", a reference to the scaled head of this species. [3] It is regarded as a member of the subgenus Catonotus. [2]
The Kanawha 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 redband 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 state of Tennessee in the eastern United States.
The spotted 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 basin of the Ohio River. It inhabits fast-flowing rocky riffles of medium-sized and smaller rivers. This species can reach a length of 9 centimetres (3.5 in) TL though most only reach about 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in).
The yellowcheek 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 is only known to occur in the state of Arkansas in the Little Red River. It inhabits medium-sized and smaller rivers in rocky riffles with strong current. This species can reach a length of 7.2 centimetres (2.8 in) TL though most only reach about 4.9 centimetres (1.9 in).
Etheostoma pallididorsum, the paleback 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 Arkansas in the United States. It is only known to occur in the Caddo River and in Hallmans Creek, a tributary of the Ouachita River. This species inhabits headwaters and creeks where it lives in rocky, shallow pools and also in springs with plentiful vegetation growth. This species can reach a length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only reach about 3.9 centimetres (1.5 in).
The striated 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 occurs in the Duck River system in Tennessee. It inhabits rocky pools in creeks. This species can reach a length of 5.6 centimetres (2.2 in) TL though most only reach about 3.8 centimetres (1.5 in).
The blenny 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 poorly known species which occurs in Alabama and Tennessee where it inhabits swift riffles.
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 stone 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 saffron 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 is found in streams and creeks in Kentucky and Tennessee.
The Highland Rim 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 is only known to occur in Tennessee and Kentucky in the Barren River system. This species can reach a length of 5.6 centimetres (2.2 in) SL.
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".
The blackfin 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, being found from the Paint Rock River to the Duck River system. It is an inhabitant of small rivers and creeks, living in small pools and nearby riffles. This species can reach a length of 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) TL.
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 guardian 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. This species inhabits creeks and headwaters, living in pools with gentle currents and adjacent riffles. This species can reach a length of 7.4 centimetres (2.9 in) SL.
The firebelly 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 is only known to occur in the drainage systems of the Obion and Forked Deer rivers of Kentucky and Tennessee. It inhabits gravel or sand-bottomed pools in creeks up to small rivers. This species can reach a length of 7 centimetres (2.8 in) TL.
The slabrock 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 occurs in the drainages of the lower Cumberland River and the lower Tennessee River in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. It inhabits rocky pools in smaller rivers and streams, and along the rocky margins of larger streams and bodies of water. This species preys on insect larvae and extremely small crustaceans. It can reach a length of 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only reach about 4.1 centimetres (1.6 in). The specific name honors the vertebrate zoologist, Dr. Philip Wayne Smith (1921-1986).
The strawberry 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 includes upland headwaters of the Strawberry River in Arkansas. It inhabits shallow gravel riffles, rocky runs, and pools of headwaters, creeks, and small rivers.
The Shawnee 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 Pond River in Kentucky. It inhabits shallow gravel riffles and rocky runs and pools of headwaters, creeks, and small rivers. This species can reach a length of 5.4 cm (2.1 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).