Etheostoma nigrum
Johnny Darter
NS
G5
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Percidae (Perches)
Etheostoma
Etheostoma nigrum (Johnny Darter)
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: elongated.
Distribution
North America: St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins from Hudson Bay to southern Mississippi in the USA, and from Quebec in Canada and from Virginia in the USA to Saskatchewan in Canada and Colorado in the USA; and on Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages in the USA.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. benthopelagic. Found in: streams, lakes.
Biology
Occur in sandy and muddy, sometimes rocky, pools of headwaters, creeks, and small to medium rivers; and in sandy shores of lakes (Ref. 5723, 10294); also found in streams (Ref. 10294). Adults feed on midge larvae, mayfly nymphs, caddis larvae, and microcrustaceans; young on entomostracans and tiny midge larvae (Ref. 10294). Eggs are found clustered on underside of stone and guarded by males (Ref. 7043).
Max length: 7.2 cm TL; common length: 3.9 cm TL; max age: 4 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; guarders (clutch tenders); parental care: paternal. Eggs are found clustered on underside of stone (Ref. 7043). Males guard the eggs (Ref. 7043).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-12-21. Resilience: Medium (K=0.95; tmax=4; Fec=47-691).
References
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr (1991) A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p.
Page, L. (1983) Handbook of darters. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. USA. 271 p.
Martin, F.D. (1984) Diets of four sympatric species of Etheostoma (Pisces: Percidae) from southern Indiana: interspecific and intraspecific multiple comparisons. Environ. Biol. Fishes 11(2):113-120.
Comments On Etheostoma nigrum