Darters

Composite image/poster of several North American darter photographs captured via electrofishing for Morgan’s master’s project. North American darters are a widely threatened subfamily of freshwater fishes, with little known about their larval ecology. A key hurdle to better understanding the population ecology and early-life history of imperiled darters is the lack of standard methods for identifying darter larvae to species. Research documenting when and where larval darters occur, especially for imperiled species, can provide new insights into when and where to apply management actions to ensure those actions are cost-effective.

North American darters are a widely threatened subfamily of freshwater fishes, with little known about their larval ecology. A key hurdle to better understanding the population ecology and early-life history of imperiled darters is the lack of standard methods for identifying darter larvae to species.