The duskytail darter (''Etheostoma percnurum'') is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Etheostomatinae Etheosomatidae is a species rich subfamily of freshwater ray-finned fish, the members of which are commonly known as the darters. The subfamily is part of the family Percidae which also includes the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. The famil ...

, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the eastern United States where it is native to the upper Tennessee River drainage in Virginia.Blanton, R. E. and R. E. Jenkins. (2008)
Three new darter species of the ''Etheostoma percnurum'' species complex (Percidae, subgenus ''Catonotus'') from the Tennessee and Cumberland river drainages.
''Zootaxa'' 1963 1-24. It was federally listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

of the United States in 1993,USFWS
Determination of Endangered Status for the Duskytail Darter, Palezone Shiner and Pygmy Madtom.
''Federal Register'' April 27, 1993. shortly before it was formally described as a new species. In 2008, examination of the morphology of this species led researchers to divide it into four species, describing the

Citico darter The Citico darter (''Etheostoma sitikuense'') is a threatened species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is ...

(''Etheostoma sitikuense''), the marbled darter (''Etheostoma marmorpinnum''), and the tuxedo darter (''Etheostoma lemniscatum'') as new. Because ''E. percnurum'' carries the endangered species status, the three new species may be given that status. These fish are threatened by the impoundment of waterways, increased silt,

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

, pollution, and disease.Jones Powers, G. L. and R. L. Mayden. (2003)
Threatened fishes of the world: ''Etheostoma percnurum'' Jenkins 1993 (Percidae).
''Environmental Biology of Fishes'' 67(4) 358.

References

External links

*USFWS
''Etheostoma percnurum'' Recovery Plan.
March 1994. *Rakes, P. L., et al. (2008)
Results of surveys for dustytail darters, ''Etheostoma percnurum'', in Copper Creek, Scott County, Virginia, 2008: Addendum.
Report to Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2119450 Etheostoma Natural history of Kentucky Natural history of Tennessee Natural history of Virginia Fish described in 1994 ESA endangered species