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Status of the Stone Darter, Etheostoma derivativum, in Kentucky
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Hopkins, Robert L. Fisk, Lisa J. |
| Copyright Year | 2012 |
| Abstract | n 2006, I was awarded a NANFA Conservation Research Grant to complete a project on the nesting biology of the Stone Darter, Etheostoma derivativum. For those unfamiliar with the Stone Darter, the species was only recently described by Page et al. (2003). It is in the subgenus Catonotus and is a member of the barcheek group. Barcheek darters are distinguished by their unique pigment pattern on the cheek that is most evident in nuptial males. The Stone Darter occurs in the lower portion of the Cumberland River drainage (Kentucky-Tennessee) from the Red River to the Stones River systems and was originally considered a disjunct population of the Striped Darter, E. virgatum. The Stone Darter differs strikingly from the Striped Darter in nuptial male coloration—having a lightercolored body, intense blue margins around the second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, and a more darkly colored head. The Stone Darter also lacks the egg-mimics that are present on the pectoral fins of Striped Darter (Porter et al., 2002). No life history study has been completed for the Stone Darter, but Kornman (1980) completed a Master's thesis describing the life history of the closely related Striped Darter. While the Stone Darter appears secure in Tennessee portions of the Cumberland River drainage, it is sporadic and uncommon in Kentucky with only four known localities. The species was last collected in Kentucky in 1981 in Whippoorwill Creek, a major tributary to the Red River. The species' uncertain status has prompted the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission to consider listing the Stone Darter as a state-imperiled species. Moreover, the species is recognized by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) as a species of greatest conservation need in the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS) program. Threats to the Stone Darter listed by the KDFWR include gravel/sand removal and quarrying, riparian zone removal, low population densities, isolated populations, stochastic events (e.g., flooding and drought), and non-point source pollution from agriculture. Given the uncertain status and the apparent need for conservation, efforts were aimed at working with populations in Kentucky. I wanted to improve distributional information with additional sampling and identify key spawning areas for use in deriving conservation strategies for Kentucky populations. I also wanted to describe several aspects of spawning biology, including, timing and duration, habitat, substrate and nest characteristics. The actual project turned out to have quite a different flavor. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.nanfa.org/ac/stone-darter-status.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.nanfa.org/education/conservation/nanfa_hopkins_report.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
