Fountain darter

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iFountain darter
Conservation status
Vulnerable (VU)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Percidae Genus: Etheostoma Species: E. fonticola
Binomial name
Etheostoma fonticola Jordan & Gilbert, 1886

The fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola) is a small freshwater fish found in the headwaters of only two rivers in Texas: the Comal River and the San Marcos River. They are generally smaller than 3 cm long. They feed on small invertebrates.

They live in the vegetation at the bottom of clean springwater rivers, the overuse of such springs being the main reason for their depletion. An extra worry for the future of fountain darters is the parasitic, non-native Trematode (Centrocestus formosanus), whose impact on the darter population is not yet known. As of 2004 only the Comal population is seriously affected by the parasite. The National Fish Hatchery & Technology Center in San Marcos keeps a reserve population of 500 adults as a hedge against a man-made or natural event wiping out the fish in the wild.

[edit] References

• Gimenez Dixon (1996). Etheostoma fonticola. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)
• Etheostoma fonticola (TSN 168395). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 24 January 2006.
• "Etheostoma fonticola". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 10 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.