Stripetail darter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stripetail darter |
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The stripetail darter (Etheostoma kennicotti) is a small, colorful freshwater fish. It is a type of darter, which belongs to the same family as perches. This fish lives only in the eastern United States. You can find it in small rivers and streams. These states include Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Male stripetail darters are a pretty golden-orange color. They have black stripes on their fins. They grow to be about 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) long. This darter eats tiny water bugs. It lays its eggs in the spring. The eggs are often found under flat rocks, where the male guards them. Scientists say this fish is doing well and is not endangered.
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About the Stripetail Darter
The stripetail darter is a small fish. Male darters are golden-orange. As adults, they can grow up to about 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) long. They have black stripes on their tail fins. They also have black stripes on the soft part of their back fins.
Where the Stripetail Darter Lives
The stripetail darter is a small fish. It lives on the bottom of freshwater rivers. It makes its home in streams that flow into bigger rivers. These include parts of the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Paint Rock river systems. You can also find them in the Green River area in Kentucky.
The largest groups of stripetail darters live in the Paint Rock and Ohio River systems. They are less common in the Tennessee River system. This fish lives in Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Their homes are often spread out, but there are many of them overall. Scientists believe there are more than 10,000 stripetail darters alive today. Their numbers seem to be steady.
What the Stripetail Darter Eats
The stripetail darter eats many small water creatures. Its diet includes mayflies, fishflies, midge larvae, isopods, stoneflies, and tiny water fleas called cladocerans.
These darters can live in different water conditions. They are okay with various pH levels and water temperatures. They often live in streams with flat rocks. You can also find them in creeks and small, slow-moving rivers. They like rocky bottoms, under stones, and under banks that hang over the water. Sometimes, they live among plants in the water.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The stripetail darter's breeding season starts in late March or early April. It continues until late May. They breed in water that is between 14 and 20 degrees Celsius (57 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit).
Stripetail darter eggs are small and round. They are sticky and measure about 2 to 2.5 millimeters (0.075 to 0.098 inches) across. The eggs are usually laid under flat rocks in medium or small streams. These streams flow into larger bodies of water. The rocks help protect the eggs. They also make it easier for the male to guard them. The stripetail darter also likes to lay eggs near plants that hang over the water. They prefer gravel or sandy bottoms.
A female stripetail darter can lay anywhere from 50 to 400 eggs at one time. When they first hatch, young darters are about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.19 inches) long. They have fins that are already developed. Stripetails become old enough to breed when they are one year old. The longest they usually live is 3 years.
Conservation Status
As of 2013, there are no special plans just for protecting the stripetail darter. They are not on the endangered species list. Their populations are considered stable and healthy. It is estimated that over 10,000 are alive in the wild today. This number is high enough for them to continue thriving.
Naming the Stripetail Darter
The stripetail darter was first officially described in 1863. It was named Catonotus kennicotti by an American zoologist named Frederic Ward Putnam. The name kennicotti honors Mr. R. Kennicott, who collected the first example of this fish.
