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Spring Creek, Polk Co. TN

Started by Guest_trygon_* , Apr 29 2014 08:39 PM

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13 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_trygon_*

Guests

Posted 29 April 2014 - 08:39 PM

I paid a visit to Spring Creek, which is a trib of the Hiwassee River, this past Sunday. Spring Creek is small, but is full of surprises; water temp was between 55-60f (13-16c), depth ranged from knee deep riffles to 6' (1.8m) visibility 6-8' (1.8-2.4m). Be forewarned this post contains fish porn, yes a bare ovipositor, XXX, NWS! Here is a little of what I saw.

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Is this guy part of the stigmaeum complex?

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Blotchside Logperch

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Blotchside at work

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Obviously not the best image, but an interesting juxtaposition nonetheless. Logperch and Blotshside Logperch

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There sure are a lot of fish down there.

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Wow! Look at all of them, I wonder what's on the other side of the log that has their interest?

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Oh! Central Stonerollers...

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...a lot of them

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Snubbie porn!!! Wow, check out the ovipositor on her! I had to have a cigarette after that.

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Another group of Central Stonerollers and associates.

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Notice the one in the background, he appears to bruised.

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Central Stoneroller detail

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CSRs and Striped Shiner

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CSR and Striped Shiner. The Shiners here are exquisite.

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The photo doesn't do this guy justice, he was amazing. In a few weeks he'll be spectacular.

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How fish see the world above, I guess.

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#2 Isaac Szabo

NANFA Member

Marble Falls, AR

Posted 29 April 2014 - 08:57 PM

Great photos Bryce! I like that first one. Yes, I think it's one of the formerly stigmaeum. I'm not sure which one you have there: http://tnaci.blogspo...ers-three.html. Perhaps E. jessiae? Those big stonerollers and striped shiners are nice!

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#3 Guest_Casper_*

Guests

Posted 29 April 2014 - 09:00 PM

Party Time!
Blueside or Speckled Darter. Can't keep 'em apart in me head. The other is in the Conasauga. Always nice this time of year.
Trout Release / Kid day was Saturday, Sunday you saw parked hopefuls.
Excellent intro to 2014!

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#4 Guest_trygon_*

Guests

Posted 29 April 2014 - 09:19 PM

Thanks guys. Thanks for the link Issac, I was thinking about that page after I shot him, but I forgot where it was. Casper, I think it's a Speckled Darter also, but there's been so many changes over the last few years it's hard for me to keep them all straight.

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#5 Guest_jblaylock_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 08:01 AM

Those are great photos.

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#6 Guest_smbass_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 09:32 AM

I am fairly certain that would be Blueside Darter E. jessiae, I think what remains as speckled darters are in the Mobile Basin because they were originally described from somewhere in that system. So Casper your Conasauga fish would be actual speckled darters.

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#7 Guest_fundulus_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 10:58 AM

Brian is right in his analysis, those are E. jessiae which are the Tennessee system version in that species complex. They're always eye popping at this time of year, or even earlier in 'bama.

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#8 Guest_Casper_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 11:44 AM

Generally Agreed.

Looking for clarity on what i once called all Speckled Darters in the past, the
TN drainage and the Conasauga and generally where ever i was in the SE.

Now...
In the TN River drainage we now have the Blueside Darter, Etheostoma Jessiae.
And there is the similiar Bluemask Darter in the Caney Fork system.
Others?

In the Conasauga we have the TRUE, original Speckled Darter but in neighboring watersheds to the west they have been split further to...
Etheostoma teddyroosevelt (highland darter)
Etheostoma jimmycarter (bluegrass darter)
Etheostoma clinton (beaded darter)
Etheostoma gore (Cumberland darter)
Etheostoma obama (spangled darter)

Anymore splits i should be aware of?

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#9 Guest_trygon_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 01:07 PM

Thanks guys, Blueside by popular demand.

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#10 Guest_Casper_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 03:10 PM

Wait now... perhaps we should come up with our own subspecies name, perhaps The Spring Blue-Foiled Delightful Darter, Etheostoma shimmerinmyeyei.
Let's do a DNA swab.

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#11 Guest_trygon_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 03:41 PM

I'll go back and get a fin clip. I do like the proposed name.

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#12 Guest_Kanus_*

Guests

Posted 30 April 2014 - 06:26 PM

Don't forget the BlueSPAR, Etheostoma mediae also. Quite the complex complex (ha!)

Amazing as always Bryce. You wanna get into Virginia at all, just say the word.

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#13 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 30 April 2014 - 06:42 PM

Y'all did that very we'll without me jumping in to say that the E. jessiae are also what's in the SChick right behind der snorkelmeisterhaus. Type locality from Chickamauga Creek in Ringgold GA, just south of the state line.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin