Cumberland darter

The Cumberland darter (Etheostoma susanae) is a rare species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to Kentucky and Tennessee in the United States, where it occurs in the upper Cumberland River tributaries above Cumberland Falls. It was federally listed as an endangered species in the US on August 9, 2011.[3]

This article is about a North American fish species named Cumberland darter. For the other species named Cumberland darter, see Etheostoma gore.

Cumberland darter
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species:
E. susanae
Binomial name
Etheostoma susanae
Synonyms[2]
  • Boleosoma susanae D. S. Jordan & Swain, 1883

This fish measures over 5.5 cm in maximum length. It is pale yellow in color with six brown saddle-like markings on the sides. On the male, these markings fade during the breeding season and the fish becomes darker in color.[3]

The Cumberland darter lives in pools and slower, shallower parts of streams, in areas with sand or silt substrates, and not in areas with rocky or cobbly substrates. Associated fish species include creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), northern hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans), stripetail darter (E. kennicotti), and Cumberland arrow darter (E. sagitta).[3]

Little is known about the fish's lifecycle.[3]

This fish is currently known from 13 streams feeding the Cumberland River. It has been extirpated from many areas it previously inhabited.[3]

This species has been hatched and reared in captivity, then released into its natural habitat.[4]

The Cumberland darter was first formally described in 1877 by the American biologists David Starr Jordan (1851-1931) And Joseph Swain (1857-1927), with the type locality given as the Cumberland River near Pleasant View from a tributary of the Clear Fork in Whitley County, Kentucky.[5] The specific name honors Mrs Susan Bowen Jordan, the wife of D.S. Jordan.[6]

References
  1. NatureServe (2013). "Etheostoma susanae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T202538A18235096. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T202538A18235096.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Etheostoma susanae" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. USFWS. Endangered Status for the Cumberland Darter, Rush Darter, Yellowcheek Darter, Chucky Madtom, and Laurel Dace: Final rule. Federal Register August 9, 2011.
  4. Ruble, C., et al. (2010). Captive Propagation and Reintroduction of the Cumberland Darter, Etheostoma susanae, in the Upper Cumberland River Drainage of Kentucky. Archived 2012-03-31 at the Wayback Machine Conservation Fisheries, Inc. for Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
  5. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Etheostoma susanae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  6. Jordan, D. S. & J. Swain (1883). "List of fishes collected in the Clear Fork of the Cumberland, Whitley County, Kentucky, with descriptions of three new species". Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 6 (378): 248–251. doi:10.5479/si.00963801.378.248.
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