# Speckled Darter

*Etheostoma stigmaeum*

Unlike many fish that swim in the water column, darters lack a functional swim bladder, allowing them to stay easily on the bottom.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Actinopterygii › Perciformes › Percidae › Etheostoma
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** aquatic
- **Habitat:** Clear, cool streams and small rivers with sandy or gravel bottoms and moderate flow.
- **Diet:** Invertivore; primarily consumes midge larvae, blackfly larvae, and mayfly nymphs.
- **Range:** Southeastern United States, Mississippi River Basin, Gulf Slope drainages
- **Size:** 40-65 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 2-3 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Siltation from land development, chemical runoff, and loss of free-flowing water due to damming.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. These small fish are shy and sensitive to habitat disturbance. To observe them, remain still near clear stream riffles; avoid stepping on gravel beds where they may be nesting.

## About

The speckled darter ( Etheostoma stigmaeum ) is a species of darter endemic to the central and southeastern United States. It occurs in the Mississippi River basin and through the Gulf Coast drainages. It is also found in the Clinch River and the Powell River. This species inhabits rocky or sandy pools in flowing waters up to the size of medium rivers with fast currents. It can reach a length of 6.1 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/feebe126-d4f3-4982-9db4-97a53bdd258d
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/100546
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speckled_darter
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/641715948/medium.jpg (Tayton Alvis, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

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