Speckled darter
| Speckled darter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Percidae |
| Genus: | Etheostoma |
| Species: | E. stigmaeum |
| Binomial name | |
| Etheostoma stigmaeum (D. S. Jordan, 1877) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The speckled darter (Etheostoma stigmaeum) is a species of darter endemic to the central and southeastern United States. It occurs in the Mississippi River basin and through the Gulf Coast drainages. It is also found in the Clinch River and the Powell River. This species inhabits rocky or sandy pools in flowing waters up to the size of medium rivers with fast currents. It can reach a length of 6.1 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only reach about 4 centimetres (1.6 in).[2]
In 2012, studies found five distinct species that were formerly included in E. stigmaeum. In a paper published in the Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Mayden and Layman described five new species, all named after former U S presidents and one vice president, based on their "leadership in conservation policies":
- Etheostoma teddyroosevelt (highland darter)
- Etheostoma jimmycarter (bluegrass darter)
- Etheostoma clinton (beaded darter)
- Etheostoma gore (Cumberland darter)
- Etheostoma obama (spangled darter)[3]
Notes
- ↑ NatureServe (2013). "Etheostoma stigmaeum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 3.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). "Etheostoma stigmaeum" in FishBase. February 2014 version.
- ↑ Crew, Becky (November 29, 2012). "All the Presidents’ fish: Five new species named after Obama, Clinton, Roosevelt, Carter and Gore". Scientific American Blogs. Scientific American. Retrieved 29 November 2012.