Percina maculata (Girard, 1859)
Blackside darter
photo by The Native Fish Conservancy

Family:  Percidae (Perches), subfamily: Etheostomatinae
Max. size:  11 cm TL (male/unsexed); max. reported age: 4 years
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater
Distribution:  North America: Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins from southern Ontario in Canada and from New York in the USA to southeastern Saskatchewan in Canada and south to Louisiana in the USA; Gulf drainages from Mobile Bay in Alabama to Calcasieu River in Louisiana, USA.
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Inhabit pools of creeks and small to medium rivers, usually with moderate current and gravel or sand bottoms (Ref. 5723, 10294). Adults feed on dipterans such as midge and blackfly larvae; mayfly nymphs are second of importance, followed by caddisfly larvae (Ref. 10294). Eggs are found buried in the substrate (Ref. 7043).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 March 2012 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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