This darter was captured and released in Tennessee, Cumberland River Drainage. Would love to have some identification input. It was found by a crew of permitted biologists conducting a fish inventory. Thanks in advance for your time!
Darter ID
Started by
Guest_kybatman_*
, Oct 12 2012 03:57 PM
10 replies to this topic
#1 Guest_kybatman_*
Posted 12 October 2012 - 03:57 PM
#2 Guest_jblaylock_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 09:27 AM
That's really hard to tell from the photos. If it was caught in the same creek as the male Arrow, I would say Female Cumberland Arrow Darter, with possible black spot disease....or maybe non dominat male.
Anymore photos?
Anymore photos?
#3 Guest_kybatman_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 10:00 AM
Here are a couple more photos. It was located in a much larger stream section than the Arrow mixed in with several Rainbow darters.
#4 Guest_ashtonmj_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 02:40 PM
I'm thinking something more along the lines of a female rainbow or a spectable complex species. Looks like some blue below the red in the anal fin and maybe the trident on the caudal peduncle
#5 Guest_daveneely_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 03:55 PM
Personally, I'm appalled that this is what passes for "voucher" photographs...
#6 Guest_kybatman_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 04:03 PM
It really would be great to have some suggestions for getting better pictures rather than criticisms. We have a group of biologists, not photographers.
#7 Guest_Skipjack_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 04:16 PM
You might want to send a PM to Uland Thomas. He takes great photos, and builds photo tanks. Don't take offense to Dave Neely, he can already ID that darter, even from the poor photo. Heck he can ID every fish in this country from a crappy pic. I believe he is just challenging you to get better at it. Oh, and I am fairly certain that it is a female Arrow darter.
#8 Guest_daveneely_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 04:40 PM
Welcome to NANFA.
Pardon me for being a bit blunt, but you should build yourself a proper photo tank, or just cut a pinning plate for the acrylic tank that you already have.
http://forum.nanfa.o...ic +photo +tank
Best advice is to buy cut pieces; they'll probably cut it on a big bandsaw, the place I use usually doesn't even require sanding to get pieces to fit flush.
You don't even need to use a good camera. This Conasauga logperch (sampled under Federal permit #TE22311A-0) was shot with a crappy point-n-shoot. The photo tank was balanced on the deck of a kayak. Fish was fin-clipped for tissue sample and released in good health. It may have been in the photo tank for 10 seconds.
P4050048.jpg 46.2KB 0 downloads
Did it take any more time than chasing it around a big, rounded corner tank and trying to get a funhouse mirror shot, or throwing it in a ziploc? Probably not.
I don't know about you, but my Federal permit includes the following: (Condition 1a.) "All site investigators that will handle fish shall be trained in their identification and handling techniques..."
If this makes me come across as a big mean nasty jerk, fine. Folks that know me already know that. I'm OK with it.
(Matt A. was right, btw.)
Pardon me for being a bit blunt, but you should build yourself a proper photo tank, or just cut a pinning plate for the acrylic tank that you already have.
http://forum.nanfa.o...ic +photo +tank
Best advice is to buy cut pieces; they'll probably cut it on a big bandsaw, the place I use usually doesn't even require sanding to get pieces to fit flush.
You don't even need to use a good camera. This Conasauga logperch (sampled under Federal permit #TE22311A-0) was shot with a crappy point-n-shoot. The photo tank was balanced on the deck of a kayak. Fish was fin-clipped for tissue sample and released in good health. It may have been in the photo tank for 10 seconds.
P4050048.jpg 46.2KB 0 downloads
Did it take any more time than chasing it around a big, rounded corner tank and trying to get a funhouse mirror shot, or throwing it in a ziploc? Probably not.
I don't know about you, but my Federal permit includes the following: (Condition 1a.) "All site investigators that will handle fish shall be trained in their identification and handling techniques..."
If this makes me come across as a big mean nasty jerk, fine. Folks that know me already know that. I'm OK with it.
(Matt A. was right, btw.)
#9 Guest_kybatman_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 04:51 PM
Thank you for the suggestions and input!
#10
Posted 13 October 2012 - 04:57 PM
A couple of threads from this forum that show you how to build a phototank. One is by Uland (who was mentioned above) and takes amazing photos. The other is by me, and my photos are not as good, but the photo tank itself has been proven to be pretty durable in the field, and maybe easier to build (well at least for me anyway).
http://forum.nanfa.o...231-photo-tank/
http://forum.nanfa.o..._hl__photo tank
http://forum.nanfa.o...231-photo-tank/
http://forum.nanfa.o..._hl__photo tank
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#11 Guest_kybatman_*
Posted 13 October 2012 - 09:15 PM
I have deleted the photos of the darter until I can provide some which are more suitable. Thanks again for all your input!
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