Rainbow Darter | Etheostoma caeruleum

Status: IUCN: Least Concern

Threats: Habitat fragmentation, mining, and sedimentation (What do these terms mean?)

Native Range: Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin from s. ON and w. NY to MN, and south to n. AL and AR

Spawning Habitat Preferences: Mid to late spring spawners in various-sized streams with moderate to fast flow; eggs are buried in sand and gravel

CFI Status: Propagated at CFI in 2010 for propagation protocols and as a potential mussel host (What do these terms mean?)

In Partnership With: Missouri State University Biology Department (Chris Barnhart)

We propagated these fish for evaluation to determine their suitability as a host fish for the endangered mussel restoration program at the Missouri State University Biology Department