TN00084 RAINBOW DARTER ETHEOSTOMA CAERULEUM
Physical description: This is a medium size, well-barred darter with the adults usually from 35-50 mm SL. The body is moderate to robust, and slightly to well compressed. TRhe snout is moderate and the frenum is present. The branchiostegal membranes are narrowly or moderately con- joined and the caudal fin is subtruncate or rounded. Breeding tubercles are present in the male on the scales of the posterior half of the belly, above the anal fin base and on the lower caudal peduncle. The female genital papillia is short, wide, flat or tubular. The lateral line is incomplete with (16)26-32(39) unpored scales. The total midlateral scales number (36)41-50(57). There are (4)5-6(7) scales above the lateral line and (6)7-8(10) scales below the lateral line. There are (16)18-20(23) circum- peduncle scales, (8)110(11) dorsal spines and (10)12-14(15) dorsal rays. There are 2 anal spines, 6-7 anal rays and (10)13(15) pectoral rays. The cheek and breast are naked, the nape is scaled or unscaled and the opercle and belly are scaled. The dorsal and lateral markings, excluding bars, of the nuptial male are brown to black on a light green ground. The bars are turquoise with areas of red-orange between which is most evident posteriorly. The dorsolateral area has red spots. The cheek has a turquoise area that become iridescent green on the opercle. The gular and branchiostegals are yellow to orange and the caudal base has two orange spots. The first dorsal margin and submargin are light turquoise, yellow-orange proximally. Near the posterior end of the fin is a small red-orange spot in some species. The second dorsal margin is turquoise and much of the fin is orange streaked with a turquoise base. The caudal margin is turquoise and the membranes are orange streaked with turquoise on the leading edges. The anal spines, rays and band are turquoise and the remainder of the membranes are orange. The pelvic is turquoise with a white knob on the tips of the rays. The pectoral margin is clear and much of the fin is orange. The female has brown to black body markings and the first dorsal margin is turquoise. There is a submarginal narrow band that is clear and the medial is red. The remainder of the fin is tessellated brown to black. The second dorsal fin has a hint of red medially. The anal fin has a small area of turquoise anteriorly and a small median area posteriorly in the membranes is orange *4205*. Reproduction: This species will spawn as early as late February in Arkansas extending to mid-June in Wisconsin. Spawning lasts for two or three months in most areas *4205*. They spawn at water temperatures greater than or equal to 15 degrees C *2918*. There are one to several spawnings, and 3-7 eggs are laid at one time, with an average 880 eggs. The number increases with age and the length of The female *4205*. The mean egg diameter is 1.56-1.78 mm and incubation takes from 10-11.5 days at water temperature of 17-18.5 degrees *2284*. The males establish small roving territories in runs and riffles. The females are pursued when they enter the spawning grounds and courted by one or more males which establish a moving territory around the female. When they are prepared to spawn the female burries the ventral half of the body and the male mounts her back and they both quiver *4205*. Behavior: This species is shy. The large pectoral fins are used for pro- gression and direction of movement *2209*. The male migrates to the breeding riffle in late March, and the female spends time in pools at base of riffles. Origin: This species is native to the Big Sandy, Tennessee and New drainages *816*. Population parameters: The sex ratio is approximately equal on the spawning grounds *2918*. Aquatic/terrestrial associations: This species is associated with Etheostoma blennoides, E. flabellare, E. nigrum, E. zonale, Hypentelium nigricans, Ericymba buccata, Hybopsis amblops, Notropis photogenis, N. rubellus, Noturus flavus, N. miurus, Percopsis omiscomaycus, and Cottus bairdi *789*. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: LATERAL SCALES = 36-57 (41-50), 16-39 (26-32) PORED, DORSAL SPINES = 8-11 (10), DORSAL RAYS = 10-15 (12-14), PECTORAL RAYS = 10-15 (13), ANAL SPINES = 2, ANAL RAYS = 6-7, VERTEBRAE = 35-38 (36-37), BREEDING MALE HAS BRIGHT REDS AND BLUES ON SIDES, HEAD, AND FINS AND ORANGE ON BRANCHIOSTEGAL MEMBRANES, TUBERCLES, WHEN PRESENT, ARE ON SCALES ON POSTERIOR HALF OF BELLY AND LOWER HALF OF CAUDAL PEDUNCLE *TN5017* REPRODUCTION: FEMALES TEND TO AVOID RIFFLES DURING SPAWNING SEASON, EXCEPT WHEN ACTUALLY SPAWNING, REMAINING INSTEAD IN THE QUIET WATER JUST BELOW THE RIFFLE, UPON SPAWNING 3-7 EGGS AND SPERM ARE RELEASED INTO THE GRAVEL, EGGS ARE 1.6-1.9 MM IN DIAMETER AND HATCH IN 10-11.5 DAYS AT 17-18.5 DEGREES C, HATCHLINGS ARE ABOUT 6 MM TL *TN5017*, BREEDING PEAKS AS WATER TEMPERATURE REACHES 17-18 DEGREES C, SPAWNING ACT MAY BE REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES AS FEMALE MOVES UPSTREAM, SEVERAL DAYS ARE REQUIRED FOR MAXIMUM NUMBER OF EGGS TO BE LAID *TN5018* BEHAVIOR: IS STRICTLY A BOTTOM DWELLER, SPENDING MUCH TIME LURKING UNDER THE EDGE OF AN OVERHANGING ROCK OR FORAGING OVER THE BOTTOM FOR SMALL INVERTEBRATES *TN5071*, A HABITAT SEPARATION HAS BEEN NOTED BETWEEN YOUNG AND ADULTS, WITH ADULTS IN FAST, DEEP RIFFLES AND YOUNG IN QUIET SHALLOW RIFFLES AND SMALL POOLS *TN5017* DEMONSTRATE FEEDING PEAKS IN MORNING AND EVENING ORIGIN: NATIVE *816* PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: HEAD CONTAINED 3.0-3.5 TIMES, BODY DEPTH 4.2-5.0 TIMES, IN STANDARD LENGTH (SL) *789*; ADULTS 40-65 MM SL *816*; BODY MODERATELY ROBUST, DEEP, COMPRESSED, THE BACK NEARLY STRAIGHT, AND THE BELLY CONVEX; HEAD CONICAL, SNOUT SMALL AND SOMEWHAT DECURVED; MOUTH TERMINAL, OBLIQUE; OPERCLE SCALED; CHEEK, THROAT, BREAST NAKED; FINS LARGE; CAUDAL FIN TRUNCATE; LATERAL LINE INCOMPLETE; OLIVACEOUS ABOUVE; SIDE WITH ABOUT 10 NARROW VERTICAL BARS FO DEEP BLUE; BARS SEPARATED BY ORANGE TO RED INTERSPACES; BELLY WHITE TO GREENISH; BREAST BLUE-GREEN; LOWER SIDE OF HEAD ORANGE; SPINOUS DORSAL FIN REDDISH AT BASE, FOLLOWED BY TRANSPARENT AREA, THEN WIDE BLUE BAND, WITH A MARGIN OF PALE BLUE; SOFT DORSAL FIN LARGELY ORANGE; CAUDAL FIN OLIVACEOUS WITH REDDISH CENTER; ANAL FIN GREEN WITH BRICK-RED CENTER; PELVIC FIN GREEN; NON-BREEDING MALE SIMILAR BUT LESS INTENSE IN COLORATION; ADULT FEMALE WITH LITTLE RED OR YELLOW, BODY OLIVACEOUS, VERTICAL BANDS LESS WILL DEFINED, SPINOUS DORSAL FIN TRANSPARENT *789* REPRODUCTION: SPAWN FORM APRIL TO JUNE AT WATER TEMPERATURES GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 15 DEGREES *2918*
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References for Life History Codes
816, 789, 2138, 2284, 2918, 4205
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