Spottail darter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Spottail darter |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Percidae |
| Genus: | Etheostoma |
| Species: |
E. squamiceps
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| Binomial name | |
| Etheostoma squamiceps D. S. Jordan, 1877
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The spottail darter (Etheostoma squamiceps) is a small, freshwater fish. It belongs to a group of fish called darters. Darters are part of the family Percidae. This family also includes popular fish like perches.
The spottail darter lives only in the eastern United States. You can find it in the Ohio River basin. It also lives in the Red River system. This river system is part of the Cumberland River drainage. These fish like to live in rocky pools. They also enjoy fast-moving parts of small rivers.
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About the Spottail Darter
The spottail darter gets its name from its tail. It has three small spots near the base of its tail fin. This is called the caudal fin.
Most spottail darters are about 4.6 centimetres (1.8 in) long. Some can grow a bit bigger. The largest ones reach about 8.8 centimetres (3.5 in) in length.
Where Spottail Darters Live
Spottail darters like quiet, rocky pools. These pools are often found at the start of rivers. They also live in creeks and small rivers. These places usually have large flat rocks. Sometimes, they have a solid rock bottom.
These fish are good at hiding. They hide in small cracks. They also hide under rocky ledges. In late summer, pools can get very low. When this happens, darters might move to quiet, fast-moving areas. These spots are called riffles. They offer more cover.
Spottail Darter Conservation
The spottail darter is not currently in danger. Scientists say it is of "low conservation concern." This means it does not need a lot of special protection right now. There are no big threats known for this fish.
Naming the Spottail Darter
The spottail darter was first officially named in 1877. An American scientist named David Starr Jordan described it. He was an ichthyologist, which means he studied fish.
The fish was found near Russellville, Kentucky. Its scientific name is Etheostoma squamiceps. The second part, squamiceps, means "scaled head." This name was chosen because this darter has scales on its head. It is part of a smaller group of darters called Catonotus.
 | Emma Amos |
 | Edward Mitchell Bannister |
 | Larry D. Alexander |
 | Ernie Barnes |
