Yazoo darter

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Yazoo darter
Etheostoma raneyi male UMFS.JPG
Adult male in breeding coloration
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species:
E. raneyi
Binomial name
Etheostoma raneyi
Suttkus & Bart, 1994

The Yazoo darter (Etheostoma raneyi) 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 north-central Mississippi in the United States, where it is found only in tributaries of the Little Tallahatchie River. [1]

Contents

Description

Yazoo darters grow up to 65 millimetres (2.6 in) standard length. Males are slightly larger than females and are brightly colored when breeding. [2] [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Yazoo darter inhabits small, clear, mostly spring-fed streams with substrates that include clay, sand, gravel, or silt. Its range encompasses headwater streams in the Little Tallahatchie River's watershed, including the Tippah River and Cypress Creek. The range includes Benton, Lafayette, Marshall, Tate, Tippah, and Union counties and parts of Holly Springs National Forest. [4]

Prior to 2020, populations in the Yocona River watershed were considered to be a unique clade of E. raneyi. Based on mitochondrial DNA, it was initially determined that there are two monophyletic clades, those in the Little Tallahatchie River and those in the Yocona River drainages. [5] Further genetic and morphological analyses determined the two populations were different species, with E. raneyi in the Little Tallahatchie River watershed, while the population in the Yocona River watershed was described as a new species, E. faulkneri . [6] [7]

Behavior

Adult female Etheostoma raneyi female.JPG
Adult female

Most individuals do not survive past their first year, and few individuals survive more than two years. [4] Individuals primarily eat insects. [3]

Status

Stream channelization and urbanization, particularly culverts have led to range restriction and declining populations of the Yazoo darter. [4] The species is listed as near-threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, sensitive by the United States Forest Service, globally imperiled by The Nature Conservancy, and vulnerable by the Southeastern Fisheries Council and American Fisheries Society. [4]

Taxonomy and etymology

The Yazoo darter was first formally described in 1994 by Royal Dallas Suttkus and Henry L. Bart with the type locality given as Hurricane Creek, a tributary to Tallahatchie River in the Yazoo River drainage, at Mississippi Highway 7 in Lafayette County, Mississippi. [8] The specific name honors the American ichthyologist Edward C. Raney (1909-1984) of Cornell University. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Etheostoma</i> Genus of fishes

Etheostoma is a genus of small freshwater fish in the family Percidae native to North America. Most are restricted to the United States, but species are also found in Canada and Mexico. They are commonly known as darters, although the term "darter" is shared by several other genera. Many can produce alarm pheromones that serve to warn nearby fish in case of an attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowcheek darter</span> Species of fish

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).

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 splendid 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 Barren River system in south-central Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. This species is usually found in small rocky pools on the sides of creeks and rivers.

The holiday 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 southeast US water system, with disjunctive populations throughout Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is also located in the Coosa River / Choccolocco Creek watershed which begins in Tennessee and far west Georgia, then enters Alabama. Its diet, close to other members of the subgenus Ulocentra, consists of small insects, including midges, black fly larvae, and small crustaceans. The two subspecies inhabit small to medium-sized gradient-rich streams. They are often found in fast-moving streams with large boulders, gravel, cobbles, and sand. They can be found in the margins between these large boulders, and use the boulders for protection from predators and for the females to attach eggs. The holiday darter has very vibrant coloration, but will display even more brilliant coloration during or before spawning. Spawning takes place during the spring, usually around April or May. This species is state listed in Georgia as threatened. One of the disjunct populations is located in the Talladega National Forest, which results in it being protected from human encroachment. The separate populations can make it difficult to determine the exact population count.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coosa darter</span> Species of fish

The Coosa 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 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 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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snubnose darter</span> Species of fish

The 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. It is endemic to the southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherokee darter</span> Species of fish

The Cherokee 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 Georgia in the United States, where it is limited to the Etowah River system. It inhabits creeks with rocky bottoms and little silt, typically occurring just above and below riffles. It is a whitish or yellowish fish with green and black spots on the flanks and eight dark saddle-like bars dorsally. It has a small range and its habitat is being degraded and fragmented, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being endangered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relict darter</span> Species of fish

The relict 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, where it occurs only in the drainage of the Bayou de Chien. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<i>Nothonotus</i> Genus of fishes

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 Alabama 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 mostly below the fall line of the Alabama River drainage. It is also relatively common in headwater tributaries to the Cahaba River above the fall line.

The Tombigbee 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 Tombigbee River system in northeastern Mississippi and Alabama. It inhabits sand- and rock-bottomed pools of headwaters, creeks, and small rivers, and small streams with mixed sand-gravel substrate, and creeks with mixed sand, gravel, and hard clay or bedrock substrate. The Tombigbee darter was first formally described in 1994 by Royal Dallas Suttkus and Reeve Maclaren Bailey with the type locality given as Wolf Creek, a tributary to the Little Souwilpa Creek near Alabama State Route 17 in Choctaw County, Alabama.

The East 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. The species has a range of 400-2000 sq. miles across tributaries of the Cumberland River from Fishing Creek in Kentucky to just below the Obey River in Tennessee. It inhabits current-swept rocky pools and adjacent riffles of creeks and small to medium rivers.

The gumbo 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 Neches, Sabine, and Calcasieu River drainages in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana. They inhabit riverbanks, where there are exposed roots with accumulated vegetational debris, and sand to mixed sand and gravel substrate with very little silt. This species can reach a length of 5.4 cm (2.1 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yocona River</span> Stream in Mississippi, United States

Yocona River is a stream in the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is a tributary of the Tallahatchie River.

<i>Etheostoma faulkneri</i> Species of fish

The Yoknapatawpha darter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae. It is endemic to the Yocona River watershed of north-central Mississippi in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 NatureServe (2014). "Etheostoma raneyi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2014: e.T202524A18229709. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T202524A18229709.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Johnston, Carol E; Haag, Wendell R (1996). "Life history of the Yazoo darter (Percidae: Etheostoma raneyi), a species endemic to north-central Mississippi" (PDF). Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany. 30: 47–60.
  3. 1 2 Sterling, Ken A; Warren Jr, Melvin L; Henderson, L Gayle (2013). "Conservation assessment of the Yazoo darter (Etheostoma raneyi)" (PDF). Southeastern Naturalist. 12 (4): 816–842. doi:10.1656/058.012.0429. S2CID   85993885.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Yazoo Darter (Etheostoma raneyi)" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  5. Powers, Steven L; Warren Jr, Melvin L (2009). "Phylogeography of three snubnose darters (Percidae: Subgenus Ulocentra) endemic to the southeastern US Coastal Plain". Copeia. 2009 (3): 523–528. doi:10.1643/ci-08-047. S2CID   3530944.
  6. Sterling, Ken A.; Nielsen, Stuart V.; Brown, Andrew J.; Warren, Jr., Melvin L.; Noonan, Brice P. (2020). "Cryptic diversity among Yazoo Darters (Percidae: Etheostoma ranyei) in disjunct watersheds of northern Mississippi". PeerJ. 8: e9014. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9014 . PMC   7204820 . PMID   32411520.
  7. Sterling, Ken A.; Warren, Jr., Melvin L. (2020). "Description of a new species of cryptic snubnose darter (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) endemic to north-central Mississippi". PeerJ. 8: e9807. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9807 . PMC   7469936 . PMID   32944422.
  8. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Etheostoma rayeni". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  9. Suttkus, R. D.; R. M. Bailey & H. L. Bart, Jr. (1994). "Three new species of Etheostoma, subgenus Ulocentra, from the Gulf coastal plain of southeastern United States". Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany. 29 (2): 97–126.