Paleback Darter: Facts & Habitat

About Paleback Darter

Etheostoma pallididorsum, the paleback darter, is a 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 Arkansas in the United States. It is only known to occur in the Caddo River and in Hallmans Creek, a tributary of the Ouachita River. This species inhabits headwaters and creeks where it lives in rocky, shallow pools and also in springs with plentiful vegetation growth. This species can reach a length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only reach about 3.9 centimetres (1.5 in).

NativeFresh2 states

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Paleback darter (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.

Diet and feeding

The FishTraits compilation records these diet categories for this species: invertebrates or larval fish. These are broad categories, not a claim that every individual consumes every example in a category.

Reported feeding positions include bottom feeding and surface or water-column feeding. The compilation combines published observations; diets can vary with age, locality, and available food.

Habitat preferences

Reported habitat associations include creeks, springs or subterranean waters.

The source records associations with clay or silt, sand, gravel, vegetation. An association indicates reported use, rather than an exclusive requirement.

Reproduction and parental care

The compilation reports a representative maturity age of 1 years. Its maturity field summarizes mean, median, or modal estimates, usually for females; male estimates can be used when female data are unavailable. It is not a fixed age at which every fish first breeds.

Batch or serial spawning has been reported somewhere in the species’ range. This does not establish the same spawning pattern for every population.

Recorded spawning months are Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun for the source’s reporting region (AR). This is a regional calendar, not a range-wide schedule.

The reproductive-guild classification includes spawning on open substrates without guarding the brood.

Size and recorded longevity

FishTraits reports a maximum total length of 5.5 centimetres. Some entries use an estimated asymptotic length; this value should not be treated as a certified record catch.

Recorded longevity in the compilation is 2 years. Wild observations were preferred, but captive records were accepted where wild records were unavailable, and unspecified records were assumed wild. The value is not a guaranteed wild lifespan or an aquarium life expectancy.

Spawning movements

The compilation records significant spawning-related movement. Its combined migration flag covers movements within fresh water as well as between rivers and the sea; this flag alone does not establish which migration pattern applies.

Range

Where it lives

97.6%of mapped records

Share of 83 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 2 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water: WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Migration: Undetermined

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species: Etheostoma pallididorsum
ITIS TSN: 168420
WoRMS AphiaID: 1013681
GBIF key: 2382367

Common questions about Paleback Darter

What is the scientific name of Paleback Darter?

The scientific name is Etheostoma pallididorsum, in the family Percidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Paleback Darter live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in fresh water.

Where has Paleback Darter been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 2 states, with the most records in Arkansas, Oklahoma. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives