''Nothonotus microlepidum'', the smallscale darter, 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 southeastern
United States. It occurs in the lower
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...
drainage in the states of
Kentucky and
Tennessee. It inhabits shallow
riffles with gravel substrates in small rivers.
[ Breeding habits of the smallscale darter are typical of the ''E. maculatum'' group in that females deposit large masses of eggs on the undersides of rocks to be protected by the males. This species is a fairly large, deep-bodied fish with dark background coloration mixed with bright red spots scattered alongside the body. Nuptial males of this species also have deep green fins with orange margins on the spinous dorsal and caudal fins, with the soft dorsal fins having a dark coloration moving marginally to yellow-orangish center with black margins. This species can reach a length of TL though most only reach about .][
In 2011, the status of this fish was upgraded to State Endangered for Kentucky. Recent surveys within the Little River revealed only five localities where this species occurs.]
References
Nothonotus
Fish described in 1967
Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN
{{Percidae-stub