Etheostoma scotti
Encyclopedia
Etheostoma scotti is a rare species of fish in the perch family
known by the common name Cherokee darter. It is endemic to Georgia
in the United States, where it is limited to the Etowah River
system.
This fish was not formally described as a new species until 1995, but it was federally listed as a threatened species of the United States in 1994.
The fish is whitish to yellowish with olive green and black spots on the sides which become larger during the breeding season. There are 8 dark saddle-like markings on the back. The male is a maximum of approximately 5 centimeters in length.
Spawning occurs in March through June, the females depositing the eggs in gravel
or sometimes bedrock
or wood debris. The fish becomes sexually mature at age 1 and it does not appear to live more than 2 years.
The Cherokee darter lives in creeks with rocky bottoms, staying mostly in clear parts of the stream that have little silt
. The fish can be found in several tributaries
of the Etowah River, but few of the populations are large or very healthy. The larger populations can be found in the northern tributaries above Lake Allatoona
. This reservoir is in the center of the fish's distribution, dividing it in two and causing fragmentation of the population.
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 Cherokee 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 is limited to 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"...
system.
This fish was not formally described as a new species until 1995, but it was federally listed as a threatened species of the United States in 1994.
The fish is whitish to yellowish with olive green and black spots on the sides which become larger during the breeding season. There are 8 dark saddle-like markings on the back. The male is a maximum of approximately 5 centimeters in length.
Spawning occurs in March through June, the females depositing the eggs in 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...
or sometimes bedrock
Bedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
or wood debris. The fish becomes sexually mature at age 1 and it does not appear to live more than 2 years.
The Cherokee darter lives in creeks with rocky bottoms, staying mostly in clear parts of the stream that have 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...
. The fish can be found in several 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...
of the Etowah River, but few of the populations are large or very healthy. The larger populations can be found in the northern tributaries above Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in Georgia, located in northwestern metro Atlanta. The lake is mostly in southwestern Cherokee County, but a significant part is in southeastern Bartow County, and a small part in Cobb County near Acworth. Cartersville is the nearest...
. This reservoir is in the center of the fish's distribution, dividing it in two and causing fragmentation of the population.
External links
- Etheostoma scotti. 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...
.