Wounded darter

Wounded darter
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Percidae
Genus:	Etheostoma
Species:	E. vulneratum
Binomial name
	Etheostoma vulneratum; (Cope, 1870)
Synonyms
	Poecilichthys vulneratusCope, 1870; Nothonotus vulneratus(Cope, 1870);

Last updated April 14, 2023

The wounded darter (Etheostoma vulneratum) 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.

Description

The wounded darter is a small percid fish characterized by a large caudal peduncle (similar to members of The subgenus Nothonotus), a terminal mouth, lines running the length of its body, a rounded caudal fin, eyes oriented nearly vertically, and olive coloration. Upon reaching sexual maturity, the male is dotted with small red spots with medial fins containing red blotching.^[3]

Distribution

The wounded darter occurs throughout much of the upper Tennessee River drainage, north to far western Virginia.^[4] The westernmost extent of its distribution is White's Creek, on the eastern slope of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, with its southeastern terminus of its distribution being the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina above Fontana Dam. The species is most abundant in reaches of the Little River in Blount County, Tennessee, as well as localities in the Little Tennessee River and the Clinch River above Norris Reservoir.^[5] Throughout the majority of its range, however, E. vulneratum is not as common. Surveys suggest this species is struggling throughout much of its range.^[6]

Historically, the wounded darter was more widespread within the upper Tennessee River drainage. Due to anthropomorphic pressures, including the creation of impoundments, this darter, as well as other darter species, can no longer inhabit many stretches of its native creeks and rivers. In addition, agricultural practices of the 1900s have left many of these streams unsuitable for this darter's reproductive and habitat needs. Today, the wounded darter is restricted to the uppermost reaches of rivers and rivers that have not been impounded.^[5]

Ecology

The wounded darter inhabits moderate to large rivers. Its preferred habitat is boulder or coarse rubble and cobble, often with overhanging ledges. Their habitat, also including rock piles, provides optimal resting, hiding, and nesting areas.^[7]^{[ unreliable source? ]} Unlike many similar darters, E. vulneratum is associated with gentle to moderately flowing water, as opposed to swift currents and riffles. It occupies depths of 0.5 m or more where suitable habitat exists.^[5]

During winter months, the wounded darter's diet consists of about 90% midge larvae, including chironomids. Their diets change as temperatures increase, diet shifts to 70% midge larvae with the rest being mayfly nymphs, water mites, larval black flies, crane flies, and hydropsychid caddisflies.^[7]

Several predatory piscivorous fishes commonly prey on the wounded darter. These include centrarchids and percids such as Micropterus dolomieu and Perca flavescens , respectively, among others. The primary competitors of the wounded darter are other darters of the Etheostoma and Percina genera. In addition, any benthic insectivorous fish, such as sculpin, may compete with E. vulneratum for food and habitat resources.^[5]

Lifecycle

A study of E. vulneratum in the Little River in eastern Tennessee indicates the wounded darter begins spawning in May when water temperatures reach 16 °C. Breeding continues until late July or later, when water reaches 20 °C.^[7] Females deposit eggs in clutches in cavities on the undersides of rock ledges or slab rocks supported by other rocks. Nests contain an average of 48 eggs, but have been observed to contain 17 to 166 eggs. These eggs, though deposited in one nest, can result from multiple spawning acts, possibly with multiple females contributing. Spawning can occur multiple times in one breeding season. Occasionally, as the female deposits her eggs, the male stands guard outside the nesting cavity and returns later to fertilize them. He then guards the eggs until they hatch. In one study, one male E. vulneratum guarded a nest for 17 consecutive days, perhaps more a behavior of territoriality than parental care.^[5]

Upon hatching, the benthic larvae are largely immobile and defenseless until the absorption of their yolk sac. At one year of age, lengths of E. vulneratum range from 22 to 40 mm. Similarly to Etheostoma maculatum , sexual maturity is not reached until age two, with a lifespan of around four to five years.^[5]

Management

Due to the current abundance of E. vulneratum, it does not warrant protected status. Because of the rarity, jeopardized status, susceptibility to ill effects from contaminants, and restricted ranges of its sister species, the wounded darter could easily become an imperiled species and should be monitored periodically.^[5]

The biggest contributing factor to the decline in wounded darter numbers is habitat loss from the creation of impoundments. With fear of localized extirpation of E. vulneratum from hydroelectric dam projects on the Little Tennessee and Cheoah Rivers, the utility company Tapoco commissioned a restoration project for the wounded darter in 2008.^[8] Soon after, Knoxville, Tennessee, the nonprofit Conservation Fisheries, Inc. (CFI) began propagating wounded darters for eventual reintroduction. In addition to wounded darters, the restoration project included the stonecat (Noturus flavus) and the sicklefin redhorse (Moxostoma spp.).^[9]

CFI's captive propagation process involves collection of wild adults, captive spawning, hatching, rearing, tagging and releasing. This protocol has been refined by CFI since 1995 through propagation of the wounded darter's sister species, the boulder darter. Nearly 900 young of wounded darters were reintroduced into the Cheoah River between 2008 and 2009, with similar numbers being reintroduced annually since then. CFI continues to survey for wounded darters in the Cheoah River, as well as other rivers in the Tennessee River and Little Tennessee River drainages.^[9]

Related Research Articles

The snail 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 found in East Tennessee freshwater in the United States. First recorded in 1973, the snail darter was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 by 1975. The species was at the center of a major environmental law controversy that involved a lawsuit seeking to halt the completion of Tellico Dam, which posed a risk of extinction for the snail darter by blocking its migratory route. The case was eventually appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled on it in its 1978 decision Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill.

The ashy 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 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 Conasauga logperch 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 United States. It is one of 184 species of darters in North America. It has been listed as endangered throughout its range with critical habitat under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since August 5, 1985.

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 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 in 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 emerald 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 only in northern and eastern Kentucky and northeastern Tennessee.

The teardrop 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 only found in Kentucky and Tennessee, where it occurs in the middle to upper reaches of the Green River drainage. It inhabits small rivers and creeks and rocky pools where it feeds on the larvae of blackflies and midges, immature stages of caddisflies and mayflies, and cladocerans and copepods. This species can reach a length of 6 cm (2.4 in), though most only reach about 4.2 cm (1.7 in). This species creates nests in which the females deposit their eggs and these are guarded by the male and have been found to contain between 40 and 80 eggs. The teardrop darter was first formally described by Robert A. Kuehne and James W. Small Jr. in 1971 with the type locality given as Brush Creek, a tributary of the Green River, 2.7 miles north of Liberty, Casey County, Kentucky. The specific name honours Professor Roger W. Barbour (1919-1993) in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of Kentucky's vertebrate fauna.

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 greenfin 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 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 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".

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.

The Citico darter is a threatened species 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 Tennessee. This species was formerly subsumed within Etheostoma percnurum. The E. percnurum group now consists of four distinct species: E. percnurum, E. marmorpinnum, E. lemniscatum, and E. sitikuense.

The orangethroat 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 eastern United States where it is native to parts of the Mississippi River Basin and Lake Erie Basin. Its typical habitat includes shallow gravel riffles in cooler streams and rocky runs and pools in headwaters, creeks, and small rivers, with sand, gravel, rubble, or rock substrates. It forages on the bottom for the aquatic larvae of midges, blackfly, mayfly and caddisfly, as well as isopods and amphipods. Spawning takes place in spring, the selected sites often being the upper stretches of riffles with sandy and gravelly bottoms interspersed with larger cobble. Reproductive success is high in this species. No particular threats have been identified, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

The Swannanoa 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 drainage of the Tennessee River. It prefers flowing water in riffles in cool, clear mountain streams, with boulder substrates. The diet and natural history of this species have been little studied but are probably similar to those of its close relative, the greenside darter. The population trend of this fish seems to be stable and it is a common species with numerous sub-populations over its limited range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".

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".

The gilt 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 can be found in a number of states in the Mississippi River drainage of the United States although it has been extirpated from some river systems in which it was at one time present, mostly due to siltation and pollution problems. Males are more colorful than females and can grow to a length of about 9 cm (3.5 in). It is a benthic fish that feeds primarily on small aquatic insect larvae. Males form territories during the breeding season in late spring and early summer. Spawning typically takes place at the upper ends of riffles with sandy and gravelly bottoms interspersed with larger cobbles. Some organisations are endeavouring to conserve populations of the gilt darter and re-introduce it to states where the fish has been extirpated but suitable habitat still exists.

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.

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

↑ NatureServe (2013). "Etheostoma vulneratum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2013: e.T202550A18236162. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202550A18236162.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Etheostoma vulneratus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
↑ http://www.web1.cnre.vt.edu/efish/families/woundeddart.html. Archived 2015-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
↑ Rohde, F. C., Moser, M. L., and R. G. Arndt. 1998. Distribution and status of selected fishes in North Carolina with a new state record. Brimleyana 25: 43-68.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Etnier, D.A. and W.C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. Univ. Tenn. Press. Knoxville, TN. 480-482 pp. http://www.newfoundpress.utk.edu/pubs/fishes/
↑ Frimpong, E.A., and P. L. Angermeier. 2009. FishTraits: a database of ecological and life-history traits of freshwater fishes of the United States. Fisheries 34:487-495.
1 2 3 Stiles, R.A. 1972. The comparative ecology of three species of Nothonotus (Percida-Etheostoma) in Tennessee’s Little River. Ph.D. Diss., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. 97pp.
↑ "Tapoco-APGI Divestiture". www.alcoa.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13.
1 2 "Etheostoma vulneratum, Wounded darter". conservationfisheries.org. Archived from the original on 2010-10-27.