Fountain darter

Taxobox
name = Fountain darter
status = VU
status_system = iucn2.3
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Percidae
genus = "Etheostoma"
species = "E. fonticola"
binomial = "Etheostoma fonticola"
binomial_authority = Jordan & Gilbert, 1886The fountain darter ("Etheostoma fonticola") is a small freshwater fish found in the headwaters of only two rivers in Texas: the Comal River and the San Marcos River. They are generally smaller than 3 cm long. They feed on small invertebrates.

They live in the vegetation at the bottom of clean springwater rivers, the overuse of such springs being the main reason for their depletion. An extra worry for the future of fountain darters is the parasitic, non-native Trematode ("Centrocestus formosanus"), whose impact on the darter population is not yet known. As of 2004 only the Comal population is seriously affected by the parasite. The National Fish Hatchery & Technology Center in San Marcos keeps a reserve population of 500 adults as a hedge against a man-made or natural event wiping out the fish in the wild.

References

* Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)
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