TN00312 BLACKSIDE DARTER PERCINA MACULATA
Physical description: This is a laterally blotched , medium-size darter with the adults usually from 40-70 mm S. The body form is moderate and the snout is moderate with the frenum present. The branchiostegal membranes are seperate or slightly united and the caudal fin is slightly emarginate. The nuptial male has a keratinized ridge on the anal rays and underside of the pelvic rays. The female genital papilla is moderate in length and broad with the tip fimbriate *4205*. There are 6-9 oval black blotches along the midside and a prominent round black basicaudal spot. There is not a distinct black bar on the chin, and the cheek and nape are usually fully scaled but may be only partly scaled. The breast is unscaled, and the belly is scaled except anteriorly in the male and along the midline in the female. The male has a row of 7-13 large modified scales on the belly midline. There are lateral scales numbering 56-81. There are no pored scales on the caudal fin. Scales above the lateral line number 7-11 and below the lateral line 10-13. There are 17-23 transverse scales, 20-27 scales around the caudal peduncle, 12-15 dorsal spines and 10-16 dorsal rays. The pectoral rays number 12-15, anal spines 2, rays 9-13 and branchiostegal rays 6. There are 40-44 vertebrae. The dorsum is olive to olive-yellow with black vermicu- lations and 8-9 dusky saddles. The venter is white to yellow, and the sides have 6-9 large black blotches. There is a distinctive black basicaudal spot and black preorbital and suborbital bars. The first dorsal fin is black basally with an expanded anterior blotch. The second dorsal and caudal fins are faintly banded with black and the other fins clear or dusky. The breeding male becomes dusky and developes irridescence on head, black boltches on dorsum and the sides intensify. Bright colors and tubercles do not develope but during the spawning act he exhibits brilliant contrast in black and white *4205*. The young are similar to the females in coloration, except the yellows are pale or replaced with white to silvery, especially on the ventral half *1306*. Reproduction: The males migrate upstream in March or April to gravel or sand pools, or raceways. The females join the males when they are ready to spawn (usually April), in water 30 cm or more deep *2975,2976,2138,4205*. The male mounts the female who buries partly in substrate, vibrates, and releases the eggs *2975,2138*. The female repeats the spawning act with several different males *2975*. Some females spawn at 1 year of age, with fecundity ranging from 1000 to 1758 total ova *4205,2138*. 10 or more eggs are laid with each mating *2975*, and 5-30 minutes may elapse between spawning acts. The female spawns from early morning to late afternoon and is usually spent within 2.5 days *2975*. Incubation takes 6 days at an unspecified temperature *2975*. The eggs are 1-2 mm in diameter, adhesive, demersal, colorless, transparent, and have a single oil globule *2975*. Behavior: This is essentially a midwater darter *1306*. It is relatively inactive on the bottom at night, making only compensatory movements to maintain its equilibrium *2138*. There is an upstream migration in spring to congregate on the spawning grounds *2976,2138,1187*. The males do not establish territories, but create 'moving' territory (about 40 cm) around female on spawning grounds *2975,2138*. They exhibit territorial defense usually against intraspecific males. The fight consists of short movement towards the intruder and is sufficient to make him leave *2975,2138*. During the brief dash or fight pelvic, anal, and caudal fins are held sitffly erect and head is lowered *2138*. Little behavior can be truly designated as courtship *2138*. The young live in the surface strata, and may drop to the bottom strata within 3 weeks. There is no parental care *2975*. Origin: The origin of this species is native in two streams of the Big Sandy drainage in Virginia *816*. Limiting factors: This species is highly intolerant of mine wastes *1306*, human alterations such as dredging, channel straightening, and industrial and agricultural pollution affect at least local distribution *2976*. Population parameters: They are seldom found in large populations *208*. The maximum age of this species is 4 years *2283,4205*. Aquatic/terrestrial associations: Some fish that they are associated with include: Rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), American brook lamprey (Lampetra appendix), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni), blacknose dace (Rhinichthys astratulus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus), common shiner (Notropis cornutus), yellow bullhead (Ictalurus natalis), central mudminnow (Umbra limi), Johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum) and the fantail darter (E. flabellare) *1579,1200*. They are seldom associated with coldwater forms such as brook trout and mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi), but occurs commonly with rock and smallmouth bass at 20.7-21.4 degrees C *1579*. This species avoids fast rocky riffles inhabited by sympatric species such as longhead darter (Percina macrocephala) and spoted darter (E. maculatum) *1439,2283*. They are not adverse to moderate stands of water-willow and pondweed *1306*. The growth of young are most rapid between June and September *2976*. Both sexes grow at approximately the same rate and attain the same size *2283*. Growth by age class has been studied *2283,2976,2677*.
| Life History |
References for Life History Codes
1439, 1579, 2283, 2975, 2976, 2138, 816, 208, 1306, 1200, 2239, 1187, 2238, 2677, 4205
Comments on Life History Codes