Gilt Darter

Scientific name: Pecina evides

 

Size: To 3 in.

 

Range: Upland drainages in the Mississippi River Basin

 

Habitat: Moderate to fast current in cool, upland streams

 

Diet: Aquatic invertebrates

 

Conservation status: Stable

 

Darters are one of the largest families of fish in North America and also include some of the most brightly colored fishes. They earned their name because they typically rest on the bottoms of streams and dart away. The gilt darter has a beautiful bronze coloring with darker bars along its sides. Because of their distribution, they are one of the upper Tennessee River fish species we are studying to learn more about their levels of genetic diversity.

 

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Upper Tennessee River fishes