Arrow darter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arrow darter |
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The arrow darter (Etheostoma sagitta) is a type of small, freshwater fish. It belongs to the family called Percidae, which also includes perch and pikeperch. These fish are found in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee, especially in the Cumberland and Kentucky Rivers.
Arrow darters are small, growing to about 11.4 centimeters (4.5 inches) long. They have no scales on their opercle (gill cover), chest, or cheeks. You can spot them by a black bar near their tail fin. Their sides have six to nine dark vertical stripes. The top of the fish is olive green, while its belly is yellow or white.
Their fins have distinct colors. The first top fin (dorsal fin) has a black base, then green, and a reddish-orange tip. The second top fin is clear with two rows of orange spots. The tail fin is clear with two or three vertical lines of orange spots. The bottom fin (anal fin) is green at its base and clear at the end. During breeding season, male arrow darters get bright orange-red spots and small bumps called breeding tubercles on their scales.
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What Arrow Darters Eat
Arrow darters mostly eat tiny insect larvae. This includes larvae of blackflies, caddisflies, and beetles. They also enjoy eating mayflies and midges. If an arrow darter is bigger than 7.1 centimeters (2.8 inches), it might also eat small crayfish.
Where Arrow Darters Live
Arrow darters often live in shallow pools of water. They like areas with large, flat stones. Sometimes, the streams they live in can become very small, almost like puddles. You can also find them around fallen wood and rocky ledges in the water.
How Arrow Darters Reproduce
Scientists do not know much about how arrow darters reproduce. However, a scientist named Bailey found pregnant female darters in April. This suggests that these fish likely lay their eggs sometime between April and May.
Where Arrow Darters Are Found
The arrow darter lives in rivers and streams across Kentucky and Tennessee. This species was once found in at least 74 streams in the upper Kentucky River basin. Recent surveys show that they are now found in about 47 streams in the same area.
Why Arrow Darters Are Important
The places where arrow darters live are sometimes harmed by human activities. For example, pollution from certain types of mining can damage their streams. This pollution is bad for the fish and other animals living in the water.
The arrow darter is not yet on the endangered species list. However, it has disappeared from more than half of the areas where it used to live. Protecting these fish and their homes is important. It also helps protect the drinking water for people, because these fish live in the headwater streams that feed into larger water sources. Keeping these streams clean helps both wildlife and human health.
About Their Name
The scientific name for the arrow darter is Etheostoma sagitta.
- Etheostoma comes from Greek words: etheo means "to strain" and stoma means "mouth."
- Sagitta is a Latin word that means "arrow." This likely refers to their swift, arrow-like movements.
