Darter Pics

Colby · Post by **Colby** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 5:14 pm

They are so hard to shoot.
All they do is DART around.

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etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:10 pm

Actually, I am thinking those are pretty good pictures. Nice camera work, I bet that took some time to get those pictures.

Pic #1 I am not sure, beautiful species though, is that redline?

Pic #2 and #3 Banded Barters Etheostoma zonales, beautiful fish. I thought maybe Greenside Darters Etheostoma blennoides, but the markings on the side lean me towards zonales.

Pic #4 and #6 Are a hard call without being able to see more of the fish, but I would guess Rainbow Darter Etheostoma caereleum (may be off on the spelling of the species name). I beautfiful and common darter.

Pic #5 is the one I don't know again.

Remind me again where you caught these fish? Very good pictures again and believe me, I have looked at lots of "Mystery Darter In Aquarium" pictures. I know yours are good pictures because I can say with 85% certainty what they are.

Kevin

Post by **sumpnfishy** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:35 pm

I am going to disagree with the banded assessment and say greenside. They are a bit elongated for zonale.
I believe you are correct on the redlines and rainbows.

Colby · Post by **Colby** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 2:09 am

I think the rainbows are Orangethroats Etheostoma spectabile.

etheonut · Post by **etheonut** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:01 am

They may be greensides, it is hard to say the markings on the sides aren't as distinct on these as I am used to seeing on greensides, but the head definitely has a greenside shape. They didn't get the blennoides name for nothing.

Orange throats and rainbows are hard to tell apart from some drainages. If there is red in the anal fin then they are rainbows, if the anal fin is solid blue then they are orange throats. That is about the only way to tell the difference and neither picture shows the whole anal fin.

Kevin

Colby · Post by **Colby** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 9:59 am

Thanks for the info.