Spotted darter

The Spotted darter lives in the benthopelagic, freshwater environment.

95 percent of the food of the spotted darter is aquatic insects, including dipterans (chiefly chironomids), stoneflies, mayflies, and beetles. Some water mites were eaten. distribution Distribution of spotted darters in NY state. More

The spotted darter may occur only in this stream in Indiana. The range of the bluebreast darter and the variegate darter in Indiana is very limited. Blue River is also known worldwide for its large population of hellbender salamanders, Cryptobranchus allegheniensis. More

riffle samples have decreased while the numbers of spotted darters has decreased only slightly since 1995. Table 2 lists the collection sites during the various studies performed on the darter populations of The Blue River. More

REASONS FOR BEING THREATENED: The spotted darter is known in Pennsylvania only from the upper Allegheny River and French Creek. This disjunct locality is one of only three widely separated constituting its known distribution. More

Like other darter species, the spotted darter is quite colorful. The male has many small bright spots and both sexes have a series of dusky blotches on the sides. The fins are olive to reddish with dark spots and the edges are pale white or occasionally yellow to orange. More

Spotted Darters are known to occur only in the middle section of the Elk River system. Information on habitat use is lacking. Through direct observation (snorkeling), we examined microhabitat use of Spotted Darters in riffle and glide habitats at three sites in the Elk River. More

Description: The spotted darter’s coloration varies - some specimens are tan and other are nearly black. Small carmine spots are scattered on the sides, accounting for its common name. It often has a blue throat that is marked by a darker color. More

Common names

Etheostoma maculatum in Catalan (Català)
Nadelstich-Riesenbarsch in German (Deutsch)
Nedelstich-Riesenbarsch in German (Deutsch)
Plettet smutte in Danish (dansk)
spotted darter in English
斑鏢鱸 in Mandarin Chinese
斑镖鲈 in Mandarin Chinese

Order : Perciformes
Family : Percidae
Genus : Etheostoma
Species : Etheostoma maculatum
Authority : Kirtland, 1840