Citico Darter | Etheostoma sitikuense

Status: IUCN: Vulnerable; USFWS: Endangered (1993) under Duskytail Darter

Threats: Deforestation, habitat fragmentation, impoundments, and sedimentation (What do these terms mean?)

CFI Status: Reared at CFI from 1993-Present for reintroduction, augmentation, and monitoring. (What do these terms mean?)

Native Range: Citico and Abrams Creeks (Tennessee River system), e. TN; introduced to Tellico River, TN

Spawning Habitat Preferences: Late spring spawners in streams and small rivers with slow-moderate flow; they lay clutches of eggs under large, flat rocks

Fun Fact: The Citico Darter, along with the Tuxedo and Marbled Darters, were recently described as genetically distinct from the Duskytail Darter (literature below). All three of these newly identified species are listed as Endangered under the umbrella of the Duskytail Darter on the Endangered Species List.
Species in the sub-genus Catonotus are referred to as Egg-Mimic Darters. The males have structures on their dorsal fins that are very similar in appearance to their eggs. These egg-mimics help males trick females into thinking they are already successfully maintaining a nest, encouraging the female to entrust her offspring to him.

Relevant Literature: Blanton, R.E. & R.E. Jenkins. 2008. Three new darter species of the federally endangered Etheostoma percnurum species complex (Percidae, subgenus Catonotus) from the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages. Zootaxa 1963:1-24.

In Partnership With: Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower; Cherokee National Forest Service; Great Smoky Mountain National Park Service; Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; USFWS Asheville and Cookeville; World Wildlife Fund