Finescale saddled darter

Description

Etheostoma osburni,the candy darter or finescale saddled darter,is a species of fish in the family Percidae,a member of the group known as darters.This species is endemic to the eastern United States where it is known only from the Kanawha River system in the states of Virginia and West Virginia.This species can reach a length of 10 cm (3.9 in),though most only reach about 7.3 cm (2.9 in).This species has a lifespan of up to three years.It spawns in April and May It is an invertivore,feeding on aquatic insect larvae and water mites.This species lives in a system of rivers,streams,and creeks in the central Appalachian Mountains.It can be found in rapid riffles in rocky riverbed habitat.It occurs in cold,cool,and warm waters,as long as the substrate is rocky and the water is clear.It tolerates fast currents.Though it has a limited range,it has been recorded in more than 10 locations and does not have a severedly fragmented distribution,so it has been designated a near-threatened species on the IUCN Red List.It is probably declining,however,due to threats from human activity.It prefers clear,unsilted waters,and increases in silt and sediment may reduce populations by reducing tolerable habitat