# Goldline Darter

*Percina aurolineata*

Goldline Darters lack a functional swim bladder, which allows them to sink easily and remain anchored to the riverbed even in heavy currents.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Actinopterygii › Perciformes › Percidae › Percina
- **IUCN Red List status:** Vulnerable
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** aquatic
- **Habitat:** Clean, fast-flowing rivers and large creeks with gravel or cobble substrates.
- **Diet:** Small aquatic insect larvae, particularly midges, mayflies, and caddisflies.
- **Range:** Cahaba River, Alabama, Coosa River system, Georgia, Tallapoosa River, Alabama
- **Size:** 2 to 3.5 inches (5-9 cm)
- **Lifespan:** 3-4 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Siltation, dam construction, water pollution from agricultural runoff, and habitat fragmentation.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Observe quietly from the surface with a mask; avoid stepping on gravel shoals where they nest. If handled by accident, return immediately to the water to prevent oxygen deprivation.

## About

The goldline darter ( Percina aurolineata ) is a rare freshwater fish in the perch family found in the United States, primarily in the Cahaba River in central Alabama and the Coosa River in Georgia and Alabama. It is a small fish seldom exceeding 3 in (7.6 cm) in length. It is typically found in areas with moderate to swift currents and a water depth of over 2 ft (60 cm), in the main channels of free-flowing rivers with a rock, cobble...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/f6e0db91-4e1b-4131-b26e-050ae912b37b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/109071
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldline_darter
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/62125449/medium.jpg (Pattavina Pete, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), PD, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.