Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S2

ITIS Code: 168368          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The orangethroat darter is listed as threatened in Iowa (571 IAC 77.2(2) (2004)).  It is found only in the interior streams and springs of the eastern part of the state.  In the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Subregion, populations of orangethroat darter have only been found in the lower Cedar River watershed.   The orangethroat darter is also found in the extreme southeast Central Plains Aquatic Subregion. Several recent collections have been made from the Soap Creek and Flint Creek watersheds (Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:

The orangethroat darter is primarily an upland species; preferring alkaline waters (Kuehne and Barbour 1983) including small headwater creeks, spring runs and small to medium streams with clear to moderate turbidity and enough current to prevent considerable silt accumulation (Clay 1975; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Harlan et al. 1987; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). Microhabitats include runs, pools, shallow riffles, or riffle margins with bottoms of rubble, fine gravel, or mixed gravel and sand (Cross and Collins 1995; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Robison and Buchanan 1988). The rainbow darter has a direct ecological relationship with the orangethroat darter (Page 1983).  In Missouri, where the rainbow darter is absent, the orangethroat darter is abundant in habitats from headwater spring to small rivers. However, in areas where the rainbow darter occurs, it replaces the orangethroat darter streams with continuous strong flow (Pflieger 1997). In Illinois, the orangethroat darter may have supplanted the rainbow darter in areas of creek bank deforestation and declining water quality (Smith 1979).  The orangethroat darter inhabits the rocky shorelines of some lakes in Kansas (Cross and Collins 1995), and small, localized populations can occasionally be found in the spring-fed backwaters of larger Ozark streams (Pflieger 1997).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=18]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

 

("TEMP_CODE" = 2 AND "FLOW" > 1 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1)

Overall Prediction:

("TEMP_CODE" = 2 AND "FLOW" > 1 AND "SUBREGION_" <= 1)

Literature Cited:

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Endangered and threatened plant and animal species.  2004.  Iowa Administrative Code 

571: 77.2(2).

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Kuehne, R.A., and R.W. Barbour.  1983.  The American darters.  University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.  177 pp.

Page, L.M. 1983.  Handbook of darters.  T.F.H. Publishing, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey.  271 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Smith, P.W.  1979.  The fishes of Illinois.  University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois.  314 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Goellner, K.E.  1976.  Field Notes: 1949-1976.  Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Iowa State University Museum.  1985.  Collection of fishes catalog, 1878-1985.   Iowa

State University, Ames, Iowa.

Lake MacBride Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports. 

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Solon, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  1984.  Field notes: Iowa-Cedar.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Milligan, J.  1987.  Stream fish surveys: Report of findings Iowa Army Ammunition

Plant, Middletown, Iowa. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Genoa, Wisconsin.

Mount Mercy College Museum.  2002.  Vertebrate collection database report.  Mount

Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Museum of Zoology.  2002.  Division of Fishes collection database.  University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May, 2002)

Olson, J.R.  1998.  Historic fish survey database.  Water Quality Bureau, Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Bailey, R.M., J.E. Fitch, E.S. Herald, E.A. Lachner, C.C. Lindsey, C.R. Robins, and W.B. Scott.  1970.  A list of common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society Special Publication No. 6. 149 pp.

Bart, H.L., Jr., and L.M. Page.  1992.  The influence of size and phylogeny on life history variation in North American percids.  Pages 553-572 in R. L. Mayden, editor.  Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes.  Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calfiornia. xxvi + 969 pp.

Berkman, H.E.  1984.  Effects of sedimentation on stream fish communities in northeast Missouri.  Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  116 pp.

Ceas, P.A., and L.M. Page.  1997.  Systematic studies of the Etheostoma spectabile complex (Percidae: subgenus Oligocephalus) with descriptions of four new species.  Copeia 1997(3):496-522.

Cross, F.B.  1967.  Handbook of fishes of Kansas.  University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication  No. 45, Lawrence, Kansas.  357 pp.

Distler, D.A. 1968.  Distribution and variation of Etheostoma spectabile (Agassiz) (Percidae:Teleostei).  Kansas University Science Bulletin 48:143-208.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Hubbs, C.  1985.  Darter reproductive seasons.  Copeia 1985:56-68.

Hubbs, C., F.B. Cross, and F. Stevens. 1988.  Occurrence of natural hybrids between Etheostoma and Percina (Pisces: Percidae).  Southwestern Naturalist 33:97-99.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Page, L.M. 1983b.  Identification of the percids, Boleosoma phlox Cope and Ioa vigil Hay.  Copeia 1983: 1082-1083.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1966.  Young of the orangethroat darter (Etheostoma spectabile) in nests of the smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui).  Copeia 1966(1):139-140.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Smale, M.A., and C. F. Rabeni.  1995.  Hypoxia and hyperthermia tolerances of headwater stream fishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society  124:698-710.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Vogt, G. F.  1987.  Foraging behavior and microhabitat selection of rainbow darters, Etheostoma caeruleum, and orangethroat darters E. spectabile.  Master’s thesis. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  121 pp.

Winn, H.E.  1958a.  Comparative reproductive behavior and ecology of fourteen species of darters (Pisces- Percidae).  Ecological Monographs 28:155-191.

Winn, H.E.  1958b.  Observations on the reproductive habits of darters (pisces-Percidae).  American Midland Naturalist 59(1):190-212.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Garold W. Sneegas, copyright Garold W. Sneegas, Aquatic Kansas Images, http://www.nanfa.org/akiweb/AKI.htm.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, http://www.ohiodnr.com/default.htm.