Fish
Redline Darter
Etheostoma rufilineatum · also called redline darters
Over a gravel riffle in a Tennessee River tributary, a breeding male redline darter displays thin red streaks and turquoise fins in a combination bright enough to rival almost any tropical aquarium fish, despite living in an ordinary Appalachian stream most people would walk right past.
Overview
The redline darter, Etheostoma rufilineatum, is a small, vividly patterned fish native to stream systems within the Tennessee and Cumberland River drainages across the southeastern and central United States. Its striking red-and-turquoise breeding display and relatively widespread distribution make it one of the more commonly encountered colourful darters in Appalachian streams.
Colour hiding in plain sight
Most people walking past an ordinary Appalachian stream would never guess it holds a fish as vividly patterned as a redline darter, a small, common species whose genuine colourfulness stays completely hidden until someone actually looks closely at the water.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable stream habitat throughout the Tennessee and Cumberland River drainages.
Redline Darter: common questions
What does a breeding male redline darter look like?
A breeding male redline darter develops a series of thin, bright red streaks running along its sides paired with vivid turquoise colouration on the fins, a striking combination that makes the species one of the more colourful small fish found in Appalachian streams during the breeding season.
Is the redline darter rare?
No, the redline darter is relatively common and widespread within suitable habitat compared with several of its more range-restricted darter relatives, making it one of the more frequently encountered colourful darters within the Tennessee and Cumberland River drainages.
What kind of stream habitat does the redline darter prefer?
A redline darter favours moderate to fast-flowing riffles with a gravel or rock bottom, generally avoiding slower, siltier water, a habitat preference shared broadly among many darter species that depend on clean, well-oxygenated flowing water.
Where does the redline darter live?
The redline darter is native to stream systems within the Tennessee and Cumberland River drainages across parts of the southeastern and central United States, favouring moderate to fast-flowing riffle habitat.