TN00085 BLUEBREAST DARTER ETHEOSTOMA CAMURUM
Physical description: This is a lined, checkered and/or faintly barred darter with the adults usually from 35-60 mm SL. The body is moderate in profile and compressed. The snout is moderately short and blunt and the frenum is well developed. The branchiostegal membranes are seperate or slightly conjoined and the caudal fin is truncate or rounded. The female genital papillia is short, flattened or globose. The lateral line is complete or with a few unpored scales. There are (52)54-62(66) scales in the lateral series with (5)6-8(9) scales above the lateral line and (14)15-18(20) transverse scales. There are (19)20-23(26) circumpeduncle scales, 10-12 dorsal spines and (11)12-13(14) dorsal rays. There are 2 anal spines, (6)7-8(9) anal rays and 13-15 pectoral rays. The nape, cheek and breast are naked and the opercle and belly are scaled. The nuptial male has dark olive or black lines, bars and saddles. The side is paler olive or olive-gray and the head is olive to tan. The breast is blue, dark gray or olive and the belly is gray. The flank anterior to the anus, often has an orange flush. The lateral body, between the dark lines, have scattered orange-red to blood-red spots the size of a scale. The spots are red-brown on the female and sometimes absent in both sexes. The first dorsal fin margin is faint orange to brick red, with the remainder olive-gray to olive-tan. The second dorsal, caudal and anal are distally black and subdistally creamy white or pale yellow. They are submarginally variable, amber, mahogany, orange-red or brick-red with the band often wider and brighter in the anal. The remainder of the fins are olive to gray. The pelvic margin is olive to brick-red with the remainder black. The pectoral rays are red-brown or blackish olive *4205*. HEAD LENGTH CONTAINED 3.2-3.6 TIMES, BODY DEPTH 4.2-5.1 TIMES, IN STANDARD LENGTH (SL); BODY SLENDER, MODERATELY COMPRESSED, DORSAL PROFILE MODERATELY ELEVATED: SNOUT MODERATELY BLUNT; CHEEK NAKED; OPERCLE COVERED WITH SCALES; MOUTH INFERIOR, HORIZONTAL; LATERAL LINE COMPLETE OR NEARLY SO; CAUDAL FIN TRUNCATE IN YOUNG, SLIGHTLY EMARGINATE IN ADULTS *789*; ADULT SIZE 33-35 MM SL *816* Reproduction: This species will spawn from mid-May to late August, at water temperatures from 21-24 degrees C *2918,2263*. The females select the spawning sites, at the head of riffles in the lee of large boulders, and buried themselves in sand or fine gravel. The male mounts the female and spawning follows. Burial lasts from 20-30 minutes with the female emerging and re-burying several times during the period. The males guard the site for at least two hours after the female is driven away. On one occasion, 100 eggs were laid in a cluster with sand particals. They may hybridize with E. tippecanoe *4205*. Behavior: The adults migrate to selected riffles from deep water *1306*. The female selects the exact spawning site, and there is no nest preparation or guarding of the eggs *835*. This species feeds mainly on dipteran larvae, supplemented with mayfly and other insect larvae. Males are territorial, guarding a site sometimes for at least two hours after the females had been driven away *9286*. Origin: This species is native in Virginia *4205* AND TENNESSEE *816*. Aquatic/terrestrial associations: This species is commonly associated with the greenside darter (Ethiostoma blennioides) and banded darter (E. zonale) *2134*. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: EIGHT INFRAORBITAL PORES, MAXIMUM SL = 70 MM, LATERAL SCALES = 47-70 (52-60), DORSAL SPINES = 9-15 (11-12), DORSAL RAYS = 10-14 (12-13), PECTORAL RAYS 13-15 (14), ANAL SPINES = 2, ANAL RAYS = 6-9 (7-8), VERTEBRAE = 36-40 (37-39) *TN5017* REPRODUCTION: MALES ARE TERRITORIAL, ESPECIALLY DURING BREEDING SEASON, TERRITORIES CENTER ABOUT LARGE ROCKS *TN5017*, AT TEMPERATURES OF 10-23 DEGREES C THE FEMALE INITIATES BREEDING ACTIVITY BY SWIMMING IN SHORT DARTS OVER THE BOTTOM, ATTRACTING A MALE FROM BENEATH HIS STONE *TN5018*, MALE FOLLOWS FEMALE TO SPAWNING SITE (WHICH IS NOT THE SITE PREVIOUSLY GUARDED BY THE MALE) *TN5017*, AFTER MUCH SWIMMING AND CHASING, FEMALE BURROWS INTO GRAVEL BENEATH OR BESIDE THE NEST STONE *TN5018*, SNOUT FIRST *TN5017*, MALE MOUNTS AND PARTIALLY WRAPS AROUND FEMALE WHILE GAMETES ARE RELEASED, THIS PATTERN IS REPEATED ONCE OR TWICE AT INTERVALS OF 3-5 MINUTES *TN5018*, BURIAL COMMONLY LASTS 20-30 MINUTES, APPROXIMATELY 100 EGGS ARE LAID, THEY ADHERE TO THE SAND AND GRAVEL AND HATCH IN 7-10 DAYS AT 19-23 DEGREES C, WHEN THE FEMALE EMERGES, SHE IS DRIVEN FROM THE SITE BY THE MALE, WHO THEN REMAINS ONLY A SHORT TIME LATER *TN5017*, FEMALES MAY BREED WITH MORE THAN ONE MALE, MALES ARE APPROACHED BY FEMALES ENTERING FROM THE QUIETER WATER DOWNSTREAM, SPECIES IS QUITE MOBILE AND MAY MOVE MANY KILOMETERS UPSTREAM TO SPAWN AND DOWNSTREAM TO LARGER RIVERS DURING LOW WATER IN SUMMER OR FALL, *TN5018* AQUATIC AND TERRESTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS: OFTEN OCCURS WITH E. MACULATUM, LESS FREQUENTLY WITH E. TIPPECANOE, E. MICROLEPIDUM, E. RUFILINEATUM, DEPENDING ON LOCATION, MAY ALSO BE CAPTURED WITH E. VARIATUM AND SEVERAL SPECIES OF PERCINA *TN5018*
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References for Life History Codes
9286, 835, 2134, 1306, 816, 2918, 2263, 789, 1211, 4205
Comments on Life History Codes