Check out this cool guy

[troubleshootn]

http://www.ncwildlife.org/Wildlife_Species_Con/Profiles_new/tdarter.pdf


Anyone have any experience with these little guys. I think it s beautiful fish with a very localized location.

 

[polish]

Has to be one of the more colorful native species we have here. Cool fish for sure.

 

[Noto]

Federally protected. You can't have him. Fortunately, there are many other pretty darters that you can have.

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

nice

 

[tankboi]

I know a stream that has some rainbow darters which has the color of blue and orange kinda like a paradise gourami. They are hard as hell to catch. You basically have to turn over rocks with your net ready to scoop them up. They will just swim from rock to rock if you keep overturning. They are hard to see from above because they are dark from the top. To me they aren't the most aquarium hardy native fishes either!

 

[Diskboy12]

very cool fish!

 

[Skyeler]

pretty

 

[bjbass]

Can you keep a darter with a smallmouth bass? My guess is no as they will be dinner.

 

[troubleshootn]

Federally protected. You can't have him. Fortunately, there are many other pretty darters that you can have.

I noticed they are on the watch list for NC but being a nongame fish I didnt think they were protected from dip netting. Where did you find them on the fed protect list. I would hate to pursue something that is protected without knowing where to look first.

 

[Noto]

My mistake, this fish only has official protection in the Georgia part of its range. However, many biologists are pushing for it to receive federal protection, as it is quite rare. It's something of a holy grail fish (to see, not to have) among native fish enthusiasts.

Please consider collecting other, more common darters for your tank. There are quite a few darter species in NC, especially in the Tennessee and Savannah drainages.