Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Carolina fantail darter (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
Carolina Fantail Darter
Etheostoma brevispinum
Percidae · freshwater water fish
1 minute read · Species guide
About Carolina Fantail Darter
The Carolina fantail darter (Etheostoma brevispinum) is a small 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 endemic to the eastern United States, where it occurs in the Santee and Savannah River drainages and Yadkin River system (downstream to and including the South Yadkin River and Bear Creek) of the Pee Dee River drainage in North Carolina, northern South Carolina and southern Virginia. This species can reach a length of 6.3 cm (2.5 in).
Range
Where it lives
0%
88.7%of mapped records
Share of records by state
Habitat
Water and movement
- Water
- WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Classification
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Superclass
- Actinopterygii
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Perciformes
- Family
- Percidae
- Genus
- Etheostoma
- Species
- Etheostoma brevispinum
- ITIS TSN
- 913905
- WoRMS AphiaID
- 1525552
- GBIF key
- 5853474
Common questions about Carolina Fantail Darter
What is the scientific name of Carolina Fantail Darter?
The scientific name is Etheostoma brevispinum, in the family Percidae. Classification follows ITIS.
Does Carolina Fantail Darter live in fresh water or salt water?
WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Where has Carolina Fantail Darter been recorded in the United States?
GBIF has observations in 3 states, with the most records in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.
Closest relatives
Other Etheostoma species
Alabama Darter3 states
Etheostoma ramseyiPercidaeNativeFresh
Arkansas Darter5 states
Etheostoma craginiPercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Arkansas Saddled Darter3 states
Etheostoma euzonumPercidaeNativeFresh
Arrow Darter3 states
Etheostoma sagittaPercidaeNativeFresh
Autumn Darter2 states
Etheostoma autumnalePercidaeNativeFresh
Backwater Darter3 states
Etheostoma zoniferPercidaeNativeFresh
Banded Darter24 states
Etheostoma zonalePercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Bandfin Darter4 states
Etheostoma zonistiumPercidaeNativeFresh
Barcheek Darter2 states
Etheostoma obeyensePercidaeNativeFresh
Barrens Darter2 states
Etheostoma forbesiPercidaeNativeFresh
Beaded Darter1 states
Etheostoma clintonPercidaeNativeFresh
Black Darter6 states
Etheostoma duryiPercidaeNativeFresh
Blackfin Darter3 states
Etheostoma nigripinnePercidaeNativeFresh
Blenny Darter3 states
Etheostoma blenniusPercidaeNativeFresh
Blue River Orangebelly Darter7 states
Etheostoma cyanorumPercidaeNative
Blueface Darter1 states
Etheostoma cyanoprosopumPercidaeNativeFresh
Bluegrass Darter2 states
Etheostoma jimmycarterPercidaeNativeFresh
Bluemask Darter1 states
Etheostoma akatuloPercidaeNativeFresh
Blueside Darter9 states
Etheostoma jessiaePercidaeNativeFresh
Bluespar Darter2 states
Etheostoma meadiaePercidaeNativeFresh
Bluntnose Darter
Etheostoma chlorosomaPercidaeNativeFresh
Brighteye Darter6 states
Etheostoma lynceumPercidaeNativeFresh
Brook Darter1 states
Etheostoma burriPercidaeNativeFresh
Brown Darter3 states
Etheostoma edwiniPercidaeNativeFresh
Same family
More Percidae
Alabama Darter3 states
Etheostoma ramseyiPercidaeNativeFresh
Amber Darter3 states
Percina antesellaPercidaeNativeFresh
Appalachia Darter3 states
Percina gymnocephalaPercidaeNativeFresh
Arkansas Darter5 states
Etheostoma craginiPercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Arkansas Saddled Darter3 states
Etheostoma euzonumPercidaeNativeFresh
Arrow Darter3 states
Etheostoma sagittaPercidaeNativeFresh
Ashy Darter5 states
Allohistium cinereumPercidaeNativeFresh
Autumn Darter2 states
Etheostoma autumnalePercidaeNativeFresh
Backwater Darter3 states
Etheostoma zoniferPercidaeNativeFresh
Banded Darter24 states
Etheostoma zonalePercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Bandfin Darter4 states
Etheostoma zonistiumPercidaeNativeFresh
Bankhead Darter1 states
Percina sipsiPercidaeNativeFresh
Barcheek Darter2 states
Etheostoma obeyensePercidaeNativeFresh
Barrens Darter2 states
Etheostoma forbesiPercidaeNativeFresh
Bayou Darter1 states
Nothonotus rubrusPercidaeNative
Beaded Darter1 states
Etheostoma clintonPercidaeNativeFresh
Bigscale Logperch7 states
Percina macrolepidaPercidaeNative and introducedFresh
Black Darter6 states
Etheostoma duryiPercidaeNativeFresh
Blackbanded Darter10 states
Percina nigrofasciataPercidaeNativeFresh
Blackfin Darter3 states
Etheostoma nigripinnePercidaeNativeFresh
Blackside Darter28 states
Percina maculataPercidaeNativeFresh
Blenny Darter3 states
Etheostoma blenniusPercidaeNativeFresh
Bloodfin Darter4 states
Nothonotus sanguifluusPercidaeNativeFresh
Blotchside Logperch17 states
Percina burtoniPercidaeNativeFresh