Spottail darter

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.

Spottail darter
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species:
E. squamiceps
Binomial name
Etheostoma squamiceps

Description

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]

Habitat and Ecology

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]

Conservation

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]

Taxonomy

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] or is regarded as a member of the subgenus Catonotus.[2]

References
  1. NatureServe (2013). "Etheostoma squamiceps". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202536A18231139. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202536A18231139.en.
  2. "Spottail Darter (Etheostoma squamiceps)". Tennessee Aquarium. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). "Etheostoma squamiceps" in FishBase. February 2014 version.
  4. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Etheostoma squamiceps". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
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