Etheostoma etowahae
Encyclopedia
Etheostoma etowahae is a rare species of fish in the perch family
known by the common name Etowah darter. It is endemic to Georgia
in the United States, where it occurs only in the Etowah River
and two of its tributaries
. It is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
This fish is brownish or grayish in color with dark blotches on the sides. During the breeding season, the male develops a blue-green color on its breast.
This fish lives in creek and river habitat in areas where the riverbed is rocky with gravel
, cobbles, or boulders. It can be found in clear riffle
s with little silt
. It lives only in the Etowah River, and the tributaries Long Swamp and Amicalola Creek.
This species is endangered by the destruction and alteration of its habitat. It is fragmented
, and the remnants are changed in ways that are detrimental to the fish. Areas are impounded
, and the fish does not tolerate impounded areas such as pools. The water is polluted with silt, surface runoff
, and other substances.
Percidae
The Percidae are a family of perciform fish found in fresh and brackish waters of the Northern Hemisphere. The family contains about 200 species in ten genera...
known by the common name Etowah darter. It is endemic to Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in the United States, where it occurs only in the Etowah River
Etowah River
The Etowah River is a waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Its name is the Cherokee version of the original Muskogee word Etalwa, which means a "trail crossing". On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River"...
and two of its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
. It is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This fish is brownish or grayish in color with dark blotches on the sides. During the breeding season, the male develops a blue-green color on its breast.
This fish lives in creek and river habitat in areas where the riverbed is rocky with gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
, cobbles, or boulders. It can be found in clear riffle
Riffle
A Riffle is a short, relatively shallow and coarse-bedded length of stream over which the stream flows at higher velocity and higher turbulence than it normally does in comparison to a pool....
s with little silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
. It lives only in the Etowah River, and the tributaries Long Swamp and Amicalola Creek.
This species is endangered by the destruction and alteration of its habitat. It is fragmented
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
, and the remnants are changed in ways that are detrimental to the fish. Areas are impounded
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, and the fish does not tolerate impounded areas such as pools. The water is polluted with silt, surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
, and other substances.
External links
- Etheostoma etowahae. FishBaseFishBaseFishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...
.