Watercress darter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Watercress darter |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Photo courtesy of the Geological Survey of Alabama | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification |
The watercress darter (Etheostoma nuchale) is a small, freshwater fish. It's a type of "darter," which means it's a quick-moving fish that darts around in the water. This special fish is part of the same family as perches. It lives only in the eastern United States, specifically in the Black Warrior River area near Birmingham, Alabama. This makes it a unique fish found nowhere else in the world!
Contents
What Does the Watercress Darter Look Like?
This little fish is quite small. It can grow up to about 5.4 centimetres (2.1 in) long, which is just over 2 inches. Most watercress darters are even smaller, usually around 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in) long.
Where Does the Watercress Darter Live?
The watercress darter is very picky about where it lives! It's only found in four specific places. Two of these spots are protected in the Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge. The other two are at Seven Springs in the Powderly area of Birmingham. These Seven Springs populations were only discovered in 2003.
These darters love to live in springs where the water moves slowly. They especially like areas with lots of watercress plants or other water plants. You can often find them resting on the leaves and stems of these plants, a bit above the bottom of the stream. They eat tiny snails, small crustaceans, and insect larvae that live in the slow-moving water.
Why is the Watercress Darter in Danger?
The watercress darter is an endangered species. This means there are very few of them left, and they need special protection. Places like the Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson County help keep them safe.
The IUCN, a group that tracks endangered animals, lists the watercress darter as "Endangered." This is because it lives in only a few small areas, its total population is small, and its homes are easily harmed if the water quality gets bad.
In 2008, something sad happened. Over 12,000 watercress darters died when workers from the city of Birmingham removed a beaver dam at Roebuck Springs. This emptied a pond that was a home for the darters. The city removed the dam because the pond often flooded a nearby tennis court. A better idea would have been to put a special device in the dam to control the water level without emptying the pond.
The city emptied the pond without asking the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), which protects endangered animals. The FWS then ordered the dam to be rebuilt and the pond refilled to try and save the remaining darters. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is also taking action against the City of Birmingham for harming these endangered fish and their wetland home.
See also
In Spanish: Etheostoma nuchale para niños
