Darters are small fish that are related to perches. There are lots of darter species that live in North America, from northern Canada to Northern Mexico. As of this recording's, nearly 150 classified darter species exist, giving them a distinction that sets them up as some of the most species-rich fish in North America, alongside other well-known groups such as minnows.
The name "darter" comes from their behavior. These fish sit on the bottom of the water column and make quick jarring motions as they move about. They dart around the sediment, which is why they have the name "darter". These fish are often found in quick-moving streams. They have a reduced or non-existent swim bladder. The swim bladder in many fish is what helps them with buoyancy. It makes it easier for them to float and sink in the water. Without a swim bladder or with a heavily reduced swim bladder, darters sink as soon as they stop swimming. When they hit the bottom, they push their strong fins against sediment surfaces such as rocks and woody debris to wedge themselves in place and hold themselves from being swept away by the current. Of course, with such species diversity, this isn't always the case. Some species live in sandy areas where they burrow below the sediment and stick only their eyes out to watch for prey and predators alike.
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Darters generally prefer shallow waters where there are fewer predators, although they can't always escape detection and are eaten by larger fish. They're relatively small, with some of the largest individuals only reaching a little over half a foot in length. On average, they're less than half this long. Darters inhabit rivers, lakes, streams, and other freshwater systems.
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They spend a lot of their time hidden among rocks, vegetation, leaf litter, and other debris along the water's bottom. Here, they find smaller organisms such as mayflies and caddisflies on which they happily dine. These fish have two dorsal fins and frequently sport bright colors. This is especially true of males during breeding season.
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The darter breeding season is typically spring or early summer. Males fight over breeding spaces where they dig nests in soft sediment in which females can lay their eggs. If a female finds a nest enticing, she'll enter and lay her eggs inside, which the male then fertilizes. The female may lay anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand eggs in the nest. Sometimes, the male sticks around and protects the eggs, fanning them with his tail while they develop. But other darter species simply leave their eggs to hatch on their own. It can take less than a week to a few weeks for the eggs to hatch, depending on temperature. Darters typically breed by two years of age, and they generally live about three to five years in the wild.
