Home/Species/ Sickle Darter

Percina williamsi

Page and Near, 2007

Sickle Darter

G2Imperiled Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →

G2ImperiledGlobal Rank

VulnerableIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.814575

Element CodeAFCQC04450

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNVulnerable

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassActinopterygii

OrderPerciformes

FamilyPercidae

GenusPercina

Concept Reference

Page, L. M., and T. J. Near. 2007. A new darter from the upper Tennessee River drainage related to Percina macrocephala (Percidae: Etheostomatinae). Copeia 2007:605-613.

Taxonomic Comments

This species formerly was included in Percina macrocepahala. Page (1978) found that there are at least three morphologically distinct populations of Percina macrocepahala: one in the upper Tennessee River system, one in the Green River system, and a third in the upper Ohio River system. Further study by Page and Near (2007) determined that the upper Tennessee River population is a distinct species (P. williamsi). The Green River population, although somewhat distinctive from populations in the upper Ohio River drainage, does not appear to be diagnosable morphologically and shares identical mtDNA haplotypes with the upper Ohio River populations, so Page and Near (2007) maintained these populations as P. macrocephala.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2012-04-20

Change Date2008-02-07

Edition Date2012-04-20

Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.

Range Extent5000-200,000 square km (about 2000-80,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences6 - 80

Rank Reasons

Range is restricted to the upper Tennessee River drainage in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina; extirpated from several streams, likely as a result of increased turbidity and siltation.

Range Extent Comments

Range is restricted to the upper Tennessee River drainage in Tennessee, Virginia, and (formerly) North Carolina; records are available for the French Broad system in Tennessee and North Carolina, the Emory River system in Tennessee, and the Holston and Clinch river systems in Tennessee and Virginia (Page and Near 2007). This darter can be observed with regularity in a few streams, but populations are widely scattered (Page and Near 2007).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by probably more than 10 distinct occurrences (subpopulations) and locations (as defined by IUCN). On a coarse range-wide scale, Page and Near (2007) mapped 14 collection sites. On a state-wide scale, Jenkins and Burkhead (1994) mapped 12 collection sites in Virginia, and Etnier and Starnes (1993) mapped 10 collection sites in Tennessee Menhinick (1991) mapped one collection site in North Carolina but noted that the species was extirpated from that state.

Threat Impact Comments

Proximate principal threats to both P. macrocephala and P. williamsi are most likely increased turbidity and siltation resulting from agricultural, industrial, and municipal development (Page and Near 2007). These darters apparently are intolerant of siltation (Etnier and Starnes 1993), though in some rivers they has been collected in silted areas (Greenberg 1991, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994). Other threats include chemical pollution and impoundment (Burkhead and Jenkins 1991). Many populations are isolated by impoundments or other habitat barriers; thus distribution may be severely fragmented.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat includes flowing pools over rocky, sandy, or silty substrates in clear creeks or small rivers (Page 1978, Etnier and Starnes 1993, Jenkins and Burkhead 1994, Page and Near 2007, Page and Burr 2011). This darter often occurs near woody debris, vegetation such as water willow, or large boulders (Etnier and Starnes 1993), and it spends most of its time swimming in current in the water column (Greenberg 1991, Etnier and Starnes 1993). It has been observed remaining motionless along the edge of brush or the plants in a water-willow bed, where their color pattern makes them difficult to detect (Heacock 1995). These fishes are not normally found beneath rocks during the daytime, as many other darters are, but at night they may seek this type of cover (Greenberg 1991). Spawning occurs in gravel shoals (Etnier and Starnes 1993, Page and Near 2007).

Reproduction

Available information indicates that spawning occurs in late winter (Page and Near 2007). Life span is probably 3-4 years (based on closely related P. macrocephala).

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN2

Province	Rank	Native
North Carolina	SX	Yes
Tennessee	S2	Yes
Virginia	S1	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
7 - Natural system modifications	—	—	—
7.2 - Dams & water management/use	—	—	—
9 - Pollution	—	—	—
9.1 - Domestic & urban waste water	—	—	—
9.2 - Industrial & military effluents	—	—	—
9.3 - Agricultural & forestry effluents	—	—	—

Roadless Areas (1)

Idaho (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear Creek	Caribou-Targhee National Forest	118,582

References (19)

Burkhead, N. M., and R. E. Jenkins. 1991. Fishes. Pages 321-409 in K. Terwilliger (coordinator). Virginia's Endangered Species: Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
Greenberg, L. A. 1991. Habitat use and feeding behavior of thirteen species of benthic stream fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes 31:389-401.
Heacock, C. H. 1995. A repeatable, visual survey of three rare Percina (Osteichthyes: Percidae) fish in Little River, Blount, County, Tennessee. M.S. Thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Jelks, H. L., S. J. Walsh, N. M. Burkhead, S. Contreras-Balderas, E. Díaz-Pardo, D. A. Hendrickson, J. Lyons, N. E. Mandrak, F. McCormick, J. S. Nelson, S. P. Platania, B. A. Porter, C. B. Renaud, J. Jacobo Schmitter-Soto, E. B. Taylor, and M.L. Warren, Jr. 2008. Conservation status of imperiled North American freshwater and diadromous fishes. Fisheries 33(8):372-407.
Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
Major, Smoot (Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage). 1997. Review and annotation of fish and mussel watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC on 19 August 1997.
Menhinick, Edward F. (Professor of Biology, UNC-Charlotte, NC). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. June 1997.
Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
Page, L. M. 1978. Redescription, distribution, variation and life history notes on Percina macrocephala (Percidae). Copeia 1978:655-664.
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., and T. J. Near. 2007. A new darter from the upper Tennessee River drainage related to Percina macrocephala (Percidae: Etheostomatinae). Copeia 2007:605-613.
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.
Shute, Peggy (Aquatic Zoologist, Tennessee Valley Authority Regional Heritage). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. October 1997.
State Natural Heritage Data Centers. 1996a. Aggregated element occurrence data from all U.S. state natural heritage programs, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, Navajo Nation and the District of Columbia. Science Division, The Nature Conservancy.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2020. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Species Status With Section 4(d) Rule for Sickle Darter. Federal Register 85(219):71859-71873.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2022. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Species Status With Section 4(d) Rule for Sickle Darter. Final rule. Federal Register 87(215):67380-67396.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2022. Review of Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notification of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions. Notification of Review Federal Register 87(85): 26152-26178.

Percina williamsi

Habitat

Reproduction

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