Home/Species/ Tessellated Darter

Etheostoma olmstedi

Storer, 1842

Tessellated Darter

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106063

Element CodeAFCQC02540

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderPerciformes

FamilyPercidae

GenusEtheostoma

Other Common Names

Raseux-de-terre gris (FR)

Concept Reference

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. 183 pp.

Taxonomic Comments

This is a broad concept of Etheostoma olmstedi that includes the three subspecies recognized by Page and Burr (1991, 2011): maculaticeps, vexillare, and olmstedi.

Phylogenetic analyses by MacGuigan et al. (2023) found that Etheostoma olmstedi is not monophyletic. Based on phylogenomic, population genetics, and morphological analyses, they elevated maculaticeps and vexillare to species status. They also suggest that three lineages above the Atlantic Fall Line in the upper James River, Appomattox River, and upper Roanoke River in Virginia and North Carolina are distinct and undescribed species.

Etheostoma olmstedi is part of the E. nigrum complex; both olmstedi and nigrum are widespread species with ranges largely isolated on opposite sides of the Appalachian Mountains. There is zone of contact in northeastern US and southern Canada which is discussed in Chapleau and Pageau (1985). E. olmstedi apparently hybridizes with E. zonale in the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania (Raesly et al. 1990).

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2017-04-19

Change Date1996-09-23

Edition Date2011-12-22

Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 - 300

Range Extent Comments

Range includes Atlantic drainages from the St. Lawrence River system, Quebec and Ontario (absent in Maine), to the Altamaha River, Georgia; St. Johns River drainage, Florida; Lake Ontario drainage, New York; introduced in the upper New River drainage, North Carolina (Page and Burr 2011).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations).

Threat Impact Comments

No major threats are known.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes sand- and mud-bottomed pools, slow runs, and backwaters of headwaters, creeks, and small to large rivers; occasionally found in brackish water; also recorded from shallow rocky shoals of lakes (Lee et al. 1980, Kuehne and Barbour 1983, Page 1983, Page and Burr 2011).

Eggs are laid on the undersides of stones or other objects in moderate current in water less than 30-60 cm deep.

Ecology

This is a host fish for the federally endangered dwarf wedge mussel.

Reproduction

Spawns April or May to June in Maryland, April to May or June in New York. Male guards eggs, spawns with several females. Sexually mature in 1-2 years, typically lives to 3 years, sometimes 4 years (Page 1983, Lee et al. 1980). According to Bart and Page (1992), age range of breeding females is 1-3 years or 1-2 years in different populations, with 1 or 3 spawns/life.

Other Nations (2)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Maryland	S5	Yes
New York	S5	Yes
New Jersey	S5	Yes
Florida	S1	Yes
New Hampshire	S4	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
Delaware	S5	Yes
Rhode Island	S3	Yes
Virginia	S4	Yes
Georgia	S4	Yes
Connecticut	S5	Yes
District of Columbia	S4	Yes
Vermont	S5	Yes
Massachusetts	S4	Yes
Pennsylvania	S5	Yes
West Virginia	S1	Yes

CanadaN4

Province	Rank	Native
Quebec	S4	Yes
Ontario	S4	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
No known threats	—	—	—

Roadless Areas (1)

Virginia (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Jerkemtight	George Washington National Forest	16,687

References (31)

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, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
Chapleau, F., and G. Pageau. 1985. Morphological differentiation of Etheostoma olmstedi and E. nigrum (Pisces: Percidae) in Canada. Copeia 1985:855-865.
Cole, C. F. 1967. A study of the eastern Johnny darter, Etheostoma olmstedi (Storer) (Teleostei, Percidae). Chesapeake Science 8(1): 28-51.
Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
Cox, Kenneth M. (District Fisheries Biologist, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
Daniels, Robert (Biological Survey, New York State Museum). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
Goodchild, C. D. 1993. Status report on the tessellated darter Etheostoma olmstedi in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). 21 pp.
Hartel, Karsten E. (Dept. of Ichthyology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 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. i-x + 854 pp.
MacGuigan, D.J. O.D. Orr, and T.J. Near. 2023. Phylogeography, hybridization, and species discovery in the Etheostoma nigrum complex (Percidae: Etheostoma: Boleosoma), Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Volume 178: 107645
Marcy, B. C., Jr., D. E. Fletcher, F. D. Martin, M. H. Paller, and M.J.M. Reichert. 2005. Fishes of the middle Savannah River basin. University of Georgia Press, Athens. xiv + 460 pp.
Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
Page, L. M. 1983a. Handbook of Darters. T. F. H. Publications, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey. 271 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.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
Raesly, Richard L. (Frostburg State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
Raesly, R. L., J. R. Stauffer, Jr., and R. F. Denoncourt. 1990. Hybridization between Etheostoma zonale and Etheostoma olmstedi (Teleostei: Percidae), following an introduction event. Copeia 1990:584-588.
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. 183 pp.
Rohde, Fritz (Icthyologist, North Carolina Division of Marine Fishes). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
Shute, J. R., IV. 1984c. A systematic evaluation of the Waccamaw darter, Etheostoma perlongum (Hubbs and Raney), with comments on relationships within the subgenus Boleosoma (Percidae: Etheostomatini). M.S. thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. viii + 77 pp.
Shute, J. R., P. W. Shute, and D. G. Lindquist. 1981. Fishes of the Waccamaw River drainage. Brimleyana 6:1-24.
Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.
Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
Whitworth, W. R., P. L. Berrien, and W. T. Keller. 1976. Freshwater fishes of Connecticut. Bulletin of the Connecticut Geological and Natural History Survey 101. vi + 134 pp.

Etheostoma olmstedi

Habitat

Ecology

Reproduction

—