Snail darter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snail darter |
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 Delisted (ESA) |
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The snail darter (Percina tanasi) is a small, freshwater fish. It belongs to a group of fish called darters. These fish are part of the same family as perches. Snail darters live in rivers and streams in East Tennessee, and parts of northern Alabama and Georgia.
This tiny fish became famous in the 1970s. It was discovered in 1973 and quickly listed as an endangered species in 1975. This happened under a special law called the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The snail darter was in danger because a large dam, the Tellico Dam, was being built. This dam would block the fish's travel routes and destroy its home.
People went to court to try and stop the dam to save the snail darter. This led to a big legal case that even went to the highest court in the U.S., the U.S. Supreme Court.
To help the snail darter, scientists and wildlife agencies worked together. They moved some snail darters to other rivers. This helped the fish survive and grow new populations. Because of these efforts, the snail darter was later changed from "endangered" to "threatened" in 1984. By 2022, it had recovered so well that it was removed from the endangered species list completely!
Snail darters usually live for about 2 to 4 years. They grow to be about 2 to 3.5 inches long. Their favorite food is small snails, but they also eat insects like caddisflies. They have special patterns on their backs that help them hide from predators.
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Where Snail Darters Live
The snail darter first lived only in the lower part of the Little Tennessee River. When the Tellico Dam was being built, scientists tried to move the fish to other rivers.
Moving to New Homes
In 1975, some snail darters were successfully moved to the Hiwassee River. The number of fish there grew to about 2,500! Scientists also tried to move them to the Nolichucky River. However, they found another protected fish there, so they stopped. Other attempts to move them to rivers like the Holston River and French Broad River were not successful.
After the Tellico Dam was finished in 1979, the snail darter could no longer live in the Little Tennessee River. But good news came in 1980! More groups of snail darters were found in other places. These included South Chickamauga Creek, Big Sewee Creek, the lower Sequatchie River, Little River, and the lower Paint Rock River in Alabama.
These new discoveries showed that the snail darter lived in more places than first thought. This helped it be reclassified from "endangered" to "threatened" in 1984.
More Recent Discoveries
Before 2022, even more snail darter groups were found. They were seen in the Flint River, the Elk River, and Bear Creek. These are all rivers that flow into the Tennessee River.
Surveys also found snail darters in several large lakes, including Chickamauga Lake, Nickajack Lake, Guntersville Lake, Wheeler Lake, and the Pickwick Reservoir. It's believed that snail darters are reproducing in Chickamauga Lake, Nickajack Lake, and Wheeler Lake.
What Snail Darters Need to Live
Snail darters like to live in parts of rivers and streams that have gravel and sand. They prefer areas with clear water and a good current. The water should not have too much silt or mud.
Habitat Conditions
The best places for snail darters have gravel and sand on the bottom. They need water that flows at a moderate speed. Farm runoff can make the water cloudy with silt. This silt can cause problems for the fish, especially when they lay eggs or travel.
Snail darters mostly eat small snails, especially in spring and winter. They also eat insect larvae like caddisflies and midges. When snails get too big for the darter's mouth, the fish will eat more insects.
How They Avoid Predators
The main predator of adult snail darters is the banded sculpin. Other fish might eat their eggs and young. Snail darters have patterns and colors on their backs that help them blend in with the river bottom. This makes it hard for predators to see them. They can also burrow into the sand or gravel to hide and save energy.
Snail Darter Life Cycle
Snail darters lay their eggs between February and mid-April. This happens when the water temperature is just right.
Reproduction
A female snail darter can lay over 600 eggs! She might mate with several males over a couple of weeks. Unlike some other fish, snail darters don't fight over territory during breeding.
The eggs are laid in shallow, gravelly areas. They hatch after about 15 to 20 days. If there's too much silt in the water, the eggs might not get enough oxygen, and many won't hatch.
From Larvae to Adults
When the eggs hatch, tiny baby fish called larvae drift downstream to deeper, calmer water. They eat tiny water creatures called zooplankton. After about 3 to 4 months, the young fish swim back upstream to the breeding areas. Snail darters are ready to have their own babies when they are one year old.
They usually live for 2 to 4 years. How long they live depends on things like how many predators are around and if they can easily reach their breeding grounds.
Protecting the Snail Darter
The snail darter was a protected species from 1975 to 2022. This protection was needed because the Tellico Dam destroyed much of its home. Silt in the water also harmed their breeding areas and food supply. Other problems included farm pollution and changes to river channels.
Recovery Efforts
A plan to help the snail darter recover was made in 1983. This plan focused on several things:
- Finding and moving fish to good new homes in the Tennessee River system.
- Doing more research to find other groups of snail darters.
- Protecting the groups of fish that already existed.
Programs were also started to teach people about the snail darter. This helped state officials and local people work together to protect the fish. Scientists continue to study snail darters to learn more about how to manage and protect them.
Wildlife agencies worked together to use laws and rules to protect the snail darter. Experts suggested that at least five separate healthy groups of snail darters should be kept safe. They also recommended that the fish stay on the federal list of protected wildlife, and that special permits be needed to collect them.
Delisting
On October 5, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the snail darter was no longer threatened. It was officially removed from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife on November 4, 2022. This was a big success story for conservation!
How the Snail Darter Got Its Name
The snail darter was first officially described in 1976 by an American fish scientist named David A. Etnier. He found the first snail darter in the Little Tennessee River.
The name tanasi comes from a very old settlement called Tanasi. This was the capital of the Cherokee Nation until 1725. It's also where the name Tennessee comes from! The snail darter is related to another fish called the stargazing darter.
