Etheostoma etnieri

Cherry darter
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Percidae
Genus:	Etheostoma
Species:	E. etnieri
Binomial name
Etheostoma etnieri Bouchard, 1977

Etheostoma etnieri, commonly known as the cherry darter, is a ray-finned fish in the perch family, Percidae. It is one of the three hundred and twenty-four species of fish found in Tennessee in the United States where it is only found in the upper Caney Fork system of the Cumberland River drainage.

Introduction

The following article is a description of a monitoring plan for the cherry darter (Etheostoma etnieri). The cherry darter is a native North American fish that is endemic to the Caney Fork River system of the Cumberland River basin in Tennessee. Etheostoma etnieri inhabits a range from small streams to large rivers, but they typically inhabit small to medium sized streams in riffles and runs of low to moderate turbidity. The largest males have a standard length of 63.7 mm and the largest females 54.7 mm.^[2] There is currently no management plan in place for this species, since the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency evaluated the cherry darter and deemed it not to be a species that should be given high conservation priority by the agency.^[3]

Distribution

The cherry darter is endemic to the upper Caney Fork system of the Cumberland River drainage, central Tennessee. The species is limited to streams flowing over limestones of the Mississippian Eastern Highland Rim. they are known to not occur in cool, slightly acidic headwaters or in the lower portion of Caney Fork River system .^[2] The range includes the following five counties; White, Putnam, Warren, Van Buren, and Grundy.^[4]

Ecology

Etheostoma etnieri feed primarily on aquatic invertebrates and insects, and are known to inhabit a wide range of habitats from springs and small creeks to large rivers. This species has a preference for smaller to medium sized creeks or streams and is usually collected in riffles and runs of moderate to low turbulence, especially over a gravel substrate. In larger streams and rivers, the species is typically found along the margins.^[2]

Life history

Etheostoma etnieri spawning peaks in April and early May,^[5] and thet reach sexual maturity at the age of two.^[6] The largest males have a standard length of about 63.7 mm and the largest females 54.7 mm.^[2] Besides what is listed above, there is very little known of the life history of the cherry darter due to it not being an extensively studied species.

Status

There is currently no management plan in place for this species. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency evaluated the cherry darter in 2001 and deemed it stable and not a great conservation need for the agency.^[3] The major potential threat is habitat degradation due to chemical runoff from agriculture, siltation, and in some cases effluent from mining. The habitat is easily disturbed by siltation and water quality degradation due to chemical runoff from agriculture and urbanization.^[4] Management recommendations for this species would be to determine the abundance and to monitor those populations to assess any possible trends.^[7]

Although this fish is present only within a restricted range, it is common in some parts of that range and there is no evidence that populations in general are dwindling or that it is in immediate danger of extinction. For these reasons, the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern".^[1]

References