TN00088 ASHY DARTER ETHEOSTOMA CINEREUM
| Species ID | TN00088 |
| Name | DARTER, ASHY |
| Other Common Names | |
| Category | 01 Fish |
| Elcode | |
| Phylum | CHORDATA |
| Subphylum | |
| Class | OSTEICHTHYES |
| Subclass | |
| Suborder | |
| Order | PERCIFORMES |
| Family | PERCIDAE |
| Genus | ETHEOSTOMA |
| Species | CINEREUM |
| Subspecies | |
| Authority | STOVER 1984 |
| Scientific Name | ETHEOSTOMA CINEREUM |
| Status Code | Status Translation | References |
| 999 | See Comments | 4205 |
| County Name | Historical Occurrence | Resident Occurrence | General Occurrence | Seasonal Occurrence | Abundance |
| Anderson | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Bedford | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Blount | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Clay | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Cumberland | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Fentress | 2 | 3 | 3 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Jackson | 2 | 3 | 3 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Lewis | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Montgomery | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Morgan | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Overton | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Pickett | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| Rutherford | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Scott | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Sevier | 2 | 2 | 2 | All Seasons | Medium abundance |
| Absent Within Counties | Unknown Within Counties |
Hydrologic Unit Code References TN5002, TN5008, TN5072, TN5102, TN5103, TN5104
| Quadrangle | Quadrangle Name |
| 3608445 | ONEIDA SOUTH |
| 3608446 | HONEY CREEK |
| 3608416 | LANCING |
| 3608542 | ALPINE |
| 3508684 | WALTERHILL |
| 3508724 | LONG BRANCH |
| 3608456 | BARTHELL SW |
| 3508643 | NORMANDY |
Quadrangle Distribution References TN5002, TN5008, TN5072, TN5102, TN5103, TN5104
| Ecoregion | Ecoregion Name |
| 221100 | Mixed Mesophytic Forest |
| 221400 | Appalachian Oak Forest |
| 221500 | Oak-Hickory Forest |
Ecoregion Distribution References TN5002
| River Reach | River Reach Name |
| 0513010415,0 | STATION CAMP CREEK |
| 0513010417,0 | LAUREL FORK |
| 0513010414,1 | BIG SOUTH FORK CUMBERLAND RIVER |
| 0513010418,0 | BIG SOUTH FORK CUMBERLAND RIVER |
| 0513010416,0 | STATION CAMP CREEK |
| 0513010449,0 | PUNCHEON CAMP CREEK |
| 0513010419,0 | NORTH WHITE OAK CREEK |
| 0513010432,0 | WHITE OAK CREEK |
| 0513010455,0 | NO BUSINESS CREEK |
| 0513010472,0 | WILLIAMS CREEK |
| 0513010517,2 | WEST FORK OBEY RIVER |
| 0513010560,0 | PUNCHEON CAMP CREEK |
| 060102085,1 | EMORY RIVER |
| 0601020828,0 | LITTLE ROCK CREEK |
| 060102086,0 | EMORY RIVER |
| 0601020823,0 | LITTLE EMORY RIVER |
| 0604000230,2 | DUCK RIVER |
| 0604000315,0 | DUCK RIVER |
River Reach References
Distribution General Comments
General Distribution References
Habitat(s): Aquatic
Comments on General Habitat
This species occurs usually in clear, cool to warm, medium to large streams of moderate gradient. It inhabits sluggish pool margins among rubble and boulder. The majority are in slow backwater, up to one meter in depth where the stones have a slight silt overlay *4205*.
General Habitat References
| Forest Size Class Association |
Forest Size Class Association References
| Society of American Forester's Type Associations | Seral Stage | Canopy Closure |
References on SAF Type Association
| Land Use/Land Cover Associations |
| Water |
| Streams and Canals |
Land Use/Land Cover Association References
816, 4205, TN5002
| National Wetlands Inventory Associations | Class | Modifier | Special Modifier |
| Riverine | Rock bottom, boulder | Nontidal, permanent | fresh |
| Riverine, upper perennial | Streambed, cobble/gravel | Nontidal, permanent | fresh |
| Riverine, upper perennial | Streambed, sand | Nontidal, permanent | fresh |
NWI Association References
816, 4205, TN5002, TN5017
| Animal/Plant Associations |
Animal/Plant Association References
Habitat Evaluation Procedures Comments on HEP
HEP References
| Potential Natural Vegetation Associations |
PNV References
| USFS Associations |
USFS References
| Tennessee Habitat Associations | Habitat Value | Translation |
References on TENHAB Association
| Habitat Relationships | Special Habitat Relationships |
References on Habitat Relationships
Trophic| References | |
| Carnivore | 4205 |
| Lifestage | Food Item Consumed | Part of Food Item |
| General | Diptera | Juvenile stage |
| General | Ephemeroptera | Not Specified |
| General | Annelids | Not Specified |
| Adult | Diptera | Juvenile stage |
| Adult | Ephemeroptera | Not Specified |
| Adult | Annelids | Not Specified |
| Important | Diptera | Juvenile stage |
| Important | Ephemeroptera | Not Specified |
| Important | Annelids | Not Specified |
Comments on General Food Habits
This species cosumes mainly immature midges, burrowing mayflies and oligochaete worms. Large adults consume less midges than do smaller fish *4205*.
Comments on Adult Food Habits
The adults eat less midges than do smaller fish *4205*.
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| General | 4205 |
| Adult | 4205 |
| Lifestage | Environmental Association |
| General | Turbidity: Clear water |
| Limiting | Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments |
| General | Water Temperature: Specified in Comments |
| General | Substrate: Sand |
| General | Substrate: Rocks |
| General | Relation to Substrate: Unattached - normally free living |
| General | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Sand |
| General | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| General | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Rubble |
| General | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Boulders |
| General | Gradient: Moderate |
| General | Gradient: High |
| General | Flow: Specified in Comments |
| General | Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments |
| General | Aquatic Features: Riffles |
| General | Aquatic Features: Pool areas |
| General | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Rooted aquatic vegetation |
| Limiting | Water Temperature: Specified in Comments |
| Egg | Relation to Substrate: Occurs in substrate [penetrating] |
| Egg | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| Egg | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Rubble |
| Breeding Adult | Water Temperature: Specified in Comments |
| Breeding Adult | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| Breeding Adult | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Rubble |
| Breeding Adult | Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments |
| Breeding Adult | Gradient: High |
| Breeding Adult | Water Level: Permanently flooded areas |
| Breeding Adult | Aquatic Features: Riffles |
| Feeding Juvenile | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| Feeding Juvenile | Gradient: High |
| Feeding Juvenile | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: Specified in Comments |
| Feeding Juvenile | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: 3.0-3.5 fps |
| Feeding Juvenile | Water Level: Permanently flooded areas |
| Feeding Juvenile | Aquatic Features: Riffles |
| Resting Juvenile | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| Resting Juvenile | Gradient: High |
| Resting Juvenile | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: Specified in Comments |
| Resting Juvenile | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: 3.0-3.5 fps |
| Resting Juvenile | Water Level: Permanently flooded areas |
| Resting Juvenile | Aquatic Features: Riffles |
| Feeding Adult | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| Feeding Adult | Gradient: High |
| Feeding Adult | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: Specified in Comments |
| Feeding Adult | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: 3.0-3.5 fps |
| Feeding Adult | Water Level: Permanently flooded areas |
| Feeding Adult | Aquatic Features: Riffles |
| Resting Adult | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Gravel |
| Resting Adult | Gradient: High |
| Resting Adult | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: Specified in Comments |
| Resting Adult | Water Velocity [Instream Flow Group Increments]: 3.0-3.5 fps |
| Resting Adult | Water Level: Permanently flooded areas |
| General | Aquatic Features: Backwaters |
| General | Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Bedrock |
| General | Gradient: Low |
| Resting Adult | Aquatic Features: Riffles |
Comments on Limiting Environmental Associations
0
| References/Lifestage | Reference Numbers |
| General | TN5071, 816, 789, 1140, 2284, 2918, 4205, TN5002, TN5017 |
| Limiting | TN5058, 2918 |
| Breeding Adult | 1187, 2284 |
| Feeding Adult | 1187, 2284, 2138, 5473 |
| Resting Adult | 1187, 2284, 2138, 5473 |
| Feeding Juvenile | 1187, 2284, 2138 |
| Resting Juvenile | 1187, 2284, 2138 |
| Egg | 2138, 2284, 2918 |
Physical description: This is a spotted and obliquely barred darter usually from 55-80 mm SL. The body is moderate to somewhat elongate and compressed. The snout is moderately long and sharp. The lips are prominent, papillose with a wide frenum. The branchiostegal membranes are seperate or slightly conjoined with the second dorsal fin very high in the large adult, most so in the male. The caudal fin is trun- cate and occasionally slightly emarginate. The large breeding male has tubercles on the pelvic and anal rays. The female genital papilla is a long conical tube. The lateral line is complete with (50)53-60(63) scales. There are 6-8(10) scales above the lateral line and (9)10- 13(14) below the lateral line. There are (20)22-25(26) circumpeduncle scales (10)11-13(14) dorsal spines and (11)12-13(14) dorsal rays. There are 1-2 anal spines, 7(8-9) anal rays and 14-15(16) pectoral rays. The gill rakers are rudimentary. The cheek, opercle and belly are always scaled and the scales are usually small and embedded on the cheek. The nape is usually naked or sometimes slightly scaled and the breast is naked. The juvenile and adult female are tan to tan-olive with brown markings from the dorsum to the midside. The side and venter of the juvenile are creamy with the faint appearance of the diagonal banding. The female is similar with increased duskiness in the bands. The first dorsal fin has a bright red marginal band and the second dorsal and caudal fins are bright red in the distal half of the membrane. The breeding male has brown to black dorsal and lateral markings and the lateral body some- times has a bronze iridescence. The ground pattern is a series of fine oblique lines, one per row, of blue-green iridescence over dark olive. The lower head, breast, posteroventral caudal peduncle and the lower few caudal rays are pale blue to dark blue. The pelvic and anal fins are intense aqua blue and the margin and some distal membranes are black. The first dorsal distal band is bright to dark red. Submarginally toward the base, the spots grade from red or brown to black. Anteromedially, there is a blue spot present in some fish, which was suffused with blue posteriorly in one male. The second dorsal has the most membrane spots and the streaks are bright to dark red. The loiwer spot are red to brown and the raays are reddish. The lips are not red. The small spawning male changed the over- all body tone rapidly, in 1-3 seconds, and frequently. The shades varied from moderately dusky to very dark, usually darkening when spawning *4205*. Reproduction: Most yearling males and females atre mature. In the Little River, Tennessee, spawning was observed on March 9th in water 20 degrees C. There is courting by both sexes with the male being more solicitous. They probably spawn from late February through mid-April. Oviposition usually is one egg per spawning act *4205*. Behavior: This species feeds mainly on immature midges, burrowing mayflies and oligochaete worms. The large adults consume less midges than the imature fish *4205*. The biology is essentially unknown *816*. Origin: This species is native but very localized in the Tennessee and Cumberland drainages. The last Virginia specimen was taken ca 1970 in the Clinch River *4205*. Population parameters: This species lives to age 4+ *4205*. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: MAXIMUM SL = 100 MM, LATERAL SCALES = 55-61, DORSAL SPINES = 22-25, DORSAL RAYS 11-13, PECTORAL RAYS 14-16, ANAL SPINES 2, AND ANAL RAYS 2-9, MALE DEVELOPS BREEDING COLORS BUT NOT BREEDING TUBERCLES *TN5017*
| Life History |
References for Life History Codes
816, 789, 4205, TN5017
Comments on Life History Codes
| Result | Management Action | ||
| Beneficial | Regulating harvest - setting size limits | ||
| Beneficial | Public education - publicity | ||
| Beneficial | Public education - incentive payments | ||
| Beneficial | Public education - law enforcement | ||
| Beneficial | Regulating harvest - setting age limits | ||
| Beneficial | Regulating harvest - restricting sex to be hunted | ||
| Beneficial | Harvest of species usinf non-selective gear | ||
| Beneficial | Harvest of species using benthic disturbing gear | ||
| Beneficial | Regulating commercial harvest levels | ||
| Beneficial | Mariculture activities | ||
| Beneficial | Restricting human disturbance during migration | ||
| Adverse | Regulating commercial harvest levels | ||
| Adverse | Restricting/regulating human disturbance of populations | ||
| Adverse | Regulating harvest - restricting number of hunters | ||
| Adverse | Installing protective nets |
| References/Result | Reference Numbers |
| Adverse | TN5002 |
| Beneficial | TN5002 |
789* Clay, W.M. 1975. The Fishes of Kentucky. 12. Ken. Dept. Fish and Wildl., Frankfort:416. 816* 1980. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes. Lee, D.S., Gilbert, C.R., Hocutt, C.H., McAllister, R.E., Stauffer, J.R., Jr. (eds.). Pub. 1980-12 of N. Car. Biol. Surv, N. C. State Mus. of Nat. Hist., Raleigh:854. 1140* Forbes, S.A., Richardson, R.E. 1920. The fishes of Illinois. Illinois Natl. Hist. Surv., Springfield:357. 1187* Pflieger, W.L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Mo. Dept. Conserv.,:173. 2138* Winn, H.E. 1958. Observations on the reproductive habits of darters (Pices-Percidae). Am. Midl. Nat. 59.:190-211. 2284* Winn, H. 1958. Comparative reproductive behavior and ecology of 14 species of darters. Ecol. Monogr. 28.:155-191. 2918* Breder, C.M., Jr., Rosen, D.E. 1966. Modes of reproduction in fishes. Am. Museum Natural History, New York:941. 4205* Jenkins, R.E. 1984. Fishes of Virginia (tentative).. 5473* Pflieger, W.L.. The stream resource of Missouri. Unpb., MO Dept. of Conserv., D-J Proj. F-I-R-28, Study S-20.. TN5002* Eagar, D. and R.H. Hatcher, editors. 1980. Tennessee's rare wildlife Volume I: the vertebrates. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Nashville, TN. TN5008* Tennessee Natural Heritage Program Data Base. Tennessee Dept. of Conservation, Ecological Services Division, Nashville, TN. TN5017* Page, L.M., Handbook of darters. T.F.H. Publications, INC., Neptune City, NJ. 271p. TN5057* Etnier, D.A. unpublished. Fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. TN5058* Clay, W.M., 1975. The Fishes of Kentucky. Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, KY. 416p. TN5071* Pflieger, W.L., 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missiour Dept. of Conserv., Jefferson City, MO. 343p. TN5072* Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.A. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr. (editors). 1980 et seq. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes. N.C. State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, NC. TN5102* O'Bara, C. J., W.L. Pennington, W.P. Bonner. 1982. A Survey of Water Quality, Benthic Macroinvertebrates and fish for sixteen streams within the Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area. USCOE-Nashville, TN. TN5103* TVA. 1975. Tennessee Valley Streams, their fish, bottom fauna, and aquatic habitat: Duck River Basin. TVA, Norris, TN. TN5104* O'Bara, C.J. 1983. The effects of intermittent acid mine drainage and oil and natural gas runoff on the aquatic ecosystem of the West Fork of the Obey River, Tennessee. M.S. Thesis. Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN.