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Perciformes/Percoidei (Perchs) >
Percidae (Perches) > Etheostomatinae
Etymology: Etheostoma: Greek, etheo = to strain + Greek, stoma = mouth; Rafinesque said "various mouths", but Jordan and Evermann suggest the name might have been intended as "Heterostoma (Ref. 45335); smithi: Named after a prominent vertebrate zoologist, Dr. Philip W. Smith (Ref. 10294).
Eponymy: Philip Wayne Smith (1921–1986) was a herpetologist and ichthyologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey (1953–1979). He is best known for his two monographs: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois (1961) and The Fishes of Illinois (1979). (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Subtropical; 38°N - 35°N
North America: occurs only in the lower Cumberland (below Caney Fork) and lower Tennessee River (in lower Duck River and downstream) drainages in Kentucky and Tennessee, USA.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 6.2 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5723); common length : 4.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12193); max. reported age: 2.00 years (Ref. 12193)
Inhabit rocky pools of headwaters, creeks and small rivers, and rocky margins of medium-sized rivers and impoundments (Ref. 5723); also found in streams (Ref. 10294). Adults feed on midge, mayfly, and immature caddisfly, with copepods and other microcrustaceans (Ref. 10294). Eggs are found clustered on underside of stone and guarded by males (Ref. 7043).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Eggs are found clustered on underside of stone (Ref. 7043). Males guard the eggs (Ref. 7043).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p. (Ref. 5723)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00676 (0.00301 - 0.01516), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.3 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tmax=2; Fec=17-69).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).