The Crystal Darter
The Crystal Darter is an endangered fish species that ranges from Minnesota to Florida, Oklahoma, to Ohio. The Darter is also called the rough sand darter. Crystal Darters are pale yellow, slender, and have 4 to 5 dark bars on their sides. These Crystal Darters have been decreasing in population for the past TEN YEARS! Now, they are only found in about 100 small streams.
Did You Know. . . . |
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1.) Crystal Darters burrow under the sand and gravel on the floor of rivers and lakes and feed on zooplankton, mayflies, beetles, and larvae.
2.) There have been very, very, very few Crystal Darters in the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. 3.) The vegetation on the St. Croix River have been keeping off pollution, therefore helping keep the fish safe under the vegetation and plants. 4.) Crystal Darters are nocturnal. |
Kingdom: Animalia
Phyllum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Percidae Genus: Crystallallia Species: Asprella Habitat: Big rivers and in Minnesota down to Florida. How they are Endangered: Strip mining, pollution, and natural gas exploration. Predators: HUmans; pollution, mining, gases, fishing. Not really any natural fish or animal predators. |