Transcript Percidae Darters

Identification of Nongame
Fishes Workshop
Michigan AFS
Lake Superior State University
March 3-4, 2008
Presented by Kevin Wehrly
Institute for Fisheries Research
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and
University of Michigan
Acknowledgement
All photographs were taken by John Lyons
and accessed from www.WiscFish.com
Percidae
Darters
Percid characteristics
• Two dorsal fins separated (except in ruffe),
first spiny, second soft rayed
• Anal fin with 1-2 spines
• Spine on opercle
• Preopercle serrate
Most common species
• Johnny darter
• Iowa darter
• Logperch
Johnny darter
• Snout blunt
• Black W’s X’s and Y’s on body
Iowa darter
• Snout sharp
• Red and brown blotches on side
• Strong teardrop under eye
Logperch
• Conical snout
• 14 to 18 vertical bars on side
• Caudal spot
Other fairly common species
• Blackside darter
• Fantail darter
• Rainbow darter
• Least darter
• Greenside darter
Blackside darter
• Mouth sharp with broad frenum
• 6 to 9 black ovals on side
• Caudal spot
Fantail darter
• Mouth sharp
• Short dorsal spines
• Tail rounded with cross bands
2 subspecies
• Barred fantail—has vertical bars, found in southern MI
• Striped fantail—has horizontal stripes, found in upper peninsula
Rainbow darter
• Mouth sharp, frenum present
• 6 to 7 dark vertical bars on side
• Nearly encircle caudal peduncle
• Most of lower peninsula
Least darter
• Mouth sharp
• Lateral line absent
• Males with enlarged pelvic fins
A small darter found across most of the state—could be mistaken for
johnny darter or iowa darter
Greenside darter
• Snout blunt; frenum absent
• Green V’s on body
• Locally abundant in the southeastern lower peninsula
Darters with restricted distributions
• Orangethroat darter—similar to rainbow
• Banded darter—similar to greenside
• Channel darter—similar to blackside
• River darter—similar to blackside
• Sand darter
Orangethroat darter
Very similar to rainbow darter
• Mouth sharp
• 4 to 5 dark vertical bars on side
• Do not encircle caudal peduncle
• A few locations in southeast MI
Banded darter
Similar to greenside darter but ranges are very different
• Snout blunt; frenum present
• 8 to 13 green bands on body
• Green Bay drainage
in Menominee County
Channel darter
•
Snout blunt; no frenum
•
Dark blotches on side
•
Dark band a base and edge of spiny dorsal
•
Endangered—Found in tribs and coastal areas of eastern lower peninsula
River darter
•
Snout blunt; frenum present
•
Dark blotches near front and back of spiny dorsal
•
Male with large anal fin
•
Endangered—Found in tribs and coastal areas of eastern lower peninsula
Sand darter
•
Body elongate and translucent
• Belly scaleless and body
imperfectly scaled
2 species
Western sand darter—has spine on opercle, found in Green Bay Drainage UP
Eastern sand darter—no spine on opercle, threatened, found in SE Michigan