Pearl darter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pearl darter
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Percidae
Genus:	Percina
Species:	P. aurora
Binomial name
Percina aurora Suttkus & B. A. Thompson, 1994
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The pearl darter (Percina aurora) is a small, special fish that lives in freshwater. It's a type of ray-finned fish and belongs to the same family as perches! You can only find it in a few rivers in Louisiana and Mississippi in the United States. Sadly, it's an endangered fish, which means it's at risk of disappearing forever. Scientists are working to protect it and its home.

What Does the Pearl Darter Look Like?

Scientists officially named the pearl darter as its own species in 1994. Before that, people thought it was the same as another fish called Percina copelandi.

Pearl darters are small fish. Females can grow up to about 57 millimeters long, and males can reach up to 64 millimeters. That's about the length of your pinky finger! They have a black spot right at the base of their tail fin. When male pearl darters are ready to breed, they get a few dark bands on their bodies. Most pearl darters are ready to have their own babies when they are about one year old.

Where Does the Pearl Darter Live?

Today, the pearl darter only lives in the Pascagoula River system. This river flows through parts of Louisiana and Mississippi states in the United States. It used to live in the Pearl River too, but it seems to have disappeared from there. The total area where these fish live is quite small, only about 200 square kilometers.

This fish likes to live in shallow parts of rivers where the water moves quickly. These areas are called "riffles." When rivers have higher water flows in the spring, it helps young pearl darters spread out to new places. We don't know everything about what the pearl darter needs in its home. However, it probably needs similar things to its close relative, P. copelandi. That fish eats tiny insects called midges and small crustaceans.

Why Is the Pearl Darter Endangered?

The pearl darter is an endangered species, which means it faces many dangers that could make it disappear. Here are some of the main threats:

• Pollution: Things like fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and other chemicals can wash into the rivers. This makes the water dirty and unhealthy for the fish.
• Silt and Sediment: When soil and tiny bits of rock wash into the river, they can cover the riverbed. This makes it hard for the fish to find food and places to lay eggs.
• Storms: Big storms like Hurricane Katrina can cause problems. They can wash more pollution and even saltwater into the rivers, harming the fish.
• Chemicals in the River: Sometimes, harmful chemicals like dioxin can be in the riverbed. If these chemicals get stirred up, they can make the water toxic.
• City Growth: As towns and cities grow near the rivers, more waste can end up in the water. This can also make the water dirty.
• Mining: People sometimes dig for sand and gravel in the river. This can change the riverbed and make it unstable, which is bad for the fish's home.
• Habitat Loss: All these problems mean the pearl darter's home is getting smaller and broken up. When fish populations are separated, it's harder for them to survive and grow. This makes them more likely to disappear from certain areas.