My New Dusky Darter

Just showin off my new Dusky Darter...that's all

Kewl!
I was just down in your neck o' the woods this past weekend, for some hiking in the "Red". After the two rock climbers' tragic fall, there were many more rock climbers there than I had ever seen previously. The whole place was packed (relatively speaking).
While there, I caught some very nice Variegate Darters, nicely colored Fantail Darters, and a couple of (as of yet) unidentified Darters.
-Thom

Edited by truf, 10 November 2008 - 10:02 PM.

Looks kewl..... I like how it looks kinda eerie, with the invisible fins and the pale/black coloration.

Cool! Nice pic! Looks kinda like my Blackside Darters (Percina maculata). In fact, I'd have trouble telling them apart if they were in the same tank!

Cool! Nice pic! Looks kinda like my Blackside Darters (Percina maculata). In fact, I'd have trouble telling them apart if they were in the same tank!

About the Blackside, I find it odd that it is supposed to be a common darter throughout Central/East KY...I've never seen one in any of the creeks I've collected in. But you're right...they do look similar

Kewl!
I was just down in your neck o' the woods this past weekend, for some hiking in the "Red". After the two rock climbers' tragic fall, there were many more rock climbers there than I had ever seen previously. The whole place was packed (relatively speaking).
While there, I caught some very nice Variegate Darters, nicely colored Fantail Darters, and a couple of (as of yet) unidentified Darters.
-Thom

I wouldn't think there would have been as many climbers after those two died. That area has some beautiful Variegates. What do that other darters look like?

Edited by jblaylock, 11 November 2008 - 08:27 AM.

The three seperate caudal (near the tail fin) spots are a dead giveaway that it is a dusky darter. It also has no suborbital (through the eye) bar. If you look at these pictures of blackside darters, which nicely illustrates their local variability, they have a single pronounced caudal spot, and typically have a suborbital bar. As far as them being common, I don't think it means they are locally abundant. I believe it means that they are common (i.e. widespread) throughout the state, but you may only encounter a few at a given location in the proper habitat and stream.

About the Blackside, I find it odd that it is supposed to be a common darter throughout Central/East KY...I've never seen one in any of the creeks I've collected in. But you're right...they do look similar



I wouldn't think there would have been as many climbers after those two died. That area has some beautiful Variegates. What do that other darters look like?

Another girl just fell 50 feet or so in the Red River Gorge. (I believe it was yesterday.) I think she survived, thank God. That is a dangerous place, people die there all the time, but I love it. It is my favorite place to be. Everyone within a 3 hour drive should visit there at least once. Get a good trail guide like the books by Goodpaster, and go get lost for a while. Lots of beautiful views, cliffs, stone arches (over a hundred), creeks, waterfalls, and a small river to boot! Go Red!
I think the Variegates from that area are the best looking too. Very dark and a great deal of blue. I'll try to get back to you with the other darter IDs. I was actually hoping to catch some Brindled Madtoms, and Frecklebelly Darters, but no luck this time. (I didn't go to my secret spot!)

That is a great looking little darter, I just started a little tank for darters and find they are just as kewl in their own right as the sunfish i started off with in this hobby, Now im hooked on two kinds of natives, Whats Next???

Jblaylock,

Yeah, the Blacksides are supposed to be the second most common darter in Wisconsin. I hardly ever catch them, though.

Ashtonmj,

Thanks for the link to the photos and description of the differences. Once you know what to look for, it seems easy to spot the differences. Seems!

Brian

Brian J. Torreano - Owner
BTDarters
American Native Fish for
your aquarium...and more!
Web: http://www.btdarters.com
Phone: (262) 268-7489

Kewl!
I was just down in your neck o' the woods this past weekend, for some hiking in the "Red". After the two rock climbers' tragic fall, there were many more rock climbers there than I had ever seen previously. The whole place was packed (relatively speaking).
While there, I caught some very nice Variegate Darters, nicely colored Fantail Darters, and a couple of (as of yet) unidentified Darters.
-Thom

The Red is where I got my big dusky, about 4.5" long. Beautiful fellow. Funny, as I hadn't seen any more since finding that one. Looks like the percina in that area (dusky, frecklebelly, logperch) all prefer deeper, more tranquil waters. Typically, I find them under a large log or tree fallen into the stream, or under a rock outcropping.

To date, the N fork of the red has yielded: rainbow, fantail, dusky, greenside, frecklebelly, banded, emerald, johnny, logperch, and variegate. And I might have found an orangethroat and sent it back thinking it was a rainbow. The riffles are thick with variegate and banded. Johnnies are rare, I've only found two in five trips there. Josh found a dead lamprey in the red, so far I haven't managed to dig up a live one.

Kewl!
I was just down in your neck o' the woods this past weekend, for some hiking in the "Red". After the two rock climbers' tragic fall, there were many more rock climbers there than I had ever seen previously. The whole place was packed (relatively speaking).
While there, I caught some very nice Variegate Darters, nicely colored Fantail Darters, and a couple of (as of yet) unidentified Darters.
-Thom

AH-HA!
Thanks to Mark and Matt in a thread started by JohnO! They have clarified the identification particulars I needed to distinguish between Banded, and Emerald Darters. I am now reasonably sure the unidentified Darters were Emerald Darters.