Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S1

ITIS Code: 201982          

National Rank: N3           

Global Rank: G3

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The crystal darter is very rare in Iowa causing Harlan et al. (1987) to speculate that it may not occur at all in Iowa.  However, recent collections of the crystal darter have found it in the Turkey River (Decorah Fish Management 2002) as well as Pools 9 and 11 of the Mississippi River. 

Habitat Affinities:

The crystal darter occurs sporadically, with only a few specimens found at a time.  It inhabits open channels of large clear streams over silt-free sand and gravel bottoms (Clay 1975; Douglas 1974; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Harlan et al. 1987; Pflieger 1997; Phillips et. al. 1982; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981).  It is found in deeper streams with strong current and low to moderate gradients (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Smith 1979; Trautman 1981).  Habitat altering activities such as channelization, dredging, and impoundment, or anything that increases the silt load, diminish or extirpate crystal darter populations (Clay 1975; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Harlan et al. 1987; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981).  Remaining in only a few pristine streams, the crystal darter is absent from large areas in its former range (Page 1983).

Predictive Model(s):

StatewideModel:

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

("SSIZE_CODE" = 3 AND "FLOW" = 1 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2)

Mississippi River Model:

The distribution is based upon existing collection recordsand professional review.

(("pool" = 'S08') OR ("pool" = 'S11'))

Overall Prediction:

("SSIZE_CODE" = 3 AND "FLOW" = 1 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) OR (("pool" = 'S08') OR ("pool" = 'S11'))

Literature Cited:

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

Decorah Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Decorah, Iowa.

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

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.

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.

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

Decorah Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Decorah, Iowa.

Nord, R.C.  1967.  A compendium of fishery information on the Upper Mississippi River.

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois. 238 pp. 

UMRCC.  1953.  Revised species list- northern section of the river.  Pages 19-32 in

Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Meeting, Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

Additional References:

Bauer, B.H., and G. H. Clemmer. 1983.  A status report on the crystal darter, Ammocrypta asprella (Jordan).  Federal Aid Report to U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Atlanta, Georgia. 31pp.

Cincotta, D.A., and M.E. Hoeft.  1987.  Rediscovery of the crystal darter, Ammocrypta asprella, in the Ohio River basin.  Brimleyana 13:133-136.

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.

George, S.G., W.T. Slack, and N.H. Douglas.  1996.  Demography, habitat, reproduction and sexual dimorphism of the crystal darter, Cyrstallaria asprella (Jordan), from South-central Arkansas.  Copeia 1996(1):68-78.

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

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

Muncy, R J., G. J. Atchison, R.V. Bulkley, B.W. Menzel, L.G. Perry, and R.C. Summerfelt.  1979.  Effects of suspended solids and sediments on reproduction and early life of warmwater fish: a review.  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon.  101 pp.

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

Simons, A.M.  1991.  Phylogenetic relationships of the crystal darter, Crystallaria asprella (Teleostei: Percidae). Copeia 1991:927-936.

Simons. A.M.  1992.  Phylogenetic relationships of the Boleosoma species group (Percidae: Etheostoma). Pages 268-292 in R.L. Mayden, editor.  Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes.  Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calfiornia. xxvi + 969 pp.

Stewart, J.H.  1992.  Status review of the crystal darter (Crystallaria asprella).  Draft status review for U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Jackson, Mississippi. 6pp.

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

Turner, T.F.  1997.  Mitochondrial control region sequences and phylogenetic systematics of darters (Teleostei: Percidae).  Copeia 1997:319-338.

Wiley, E.O.  1992.  Phylogenetic relationships of the Percidae (Teleostei: Perciformes): a preliminary hypothesis. Pages 247-267 in R. L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calfiornia. xxvi + 969 pp.

Wiley, E.O., and D.D. Hall.  1975.  Fundulus blairae,a new species of the Fundulus notti complex (Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae).  American Museum Novitates No. 2577. 13 pp. + 5 figs., 9 tables.

Wood, R.M., and R.L. Mayden.  1997.  Phylogenetic relationships among selected darter subgenera (Teleostei: Percidae) as inferred from analysis of allozymes.  Copeia 1997:265-274.

Wood, R.M., and M.E. Raley.  2000.  Cytochrome b sequence variation in the crystal darter Crystallaria asprella (Actinopterygii: Percidae).  Copeia 2000:20-26.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.