Slabrock Darter: Facts & Habitat

About Slabrock Darter

The slabrock darter (Etheostoma smithi) 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 the eastern United States. It occurs in the drainages of the lower Cumberland River and the lower Tennessee River in the states of Kentucky and Tennessee. It inhabits rocky pools in smaller rivers and streams, and along the rocky margins of larger streams and bodies of water. This species preys on insect larvae and extremely small crustaceans. It can reach a length of 6.2 centimetres (2.4 in) TL though most only reach about 4.1 centimetres (1.6 in). The specific name honors the vertebrate zoologist, Dr. Philip Wayne Smith (1921–1986).

NativeFresh2 states

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Slabrock 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.

Habitat preferences

Reported habitat associations include medium to large rivers, streams and small rivers, creeks.

The source records associations with gravel, cobble, bedrock. 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.

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

Size and recorded longevity

FishTraits reports a maximum total length of 6.4 centimetres. Some entries use an estimated asymptotic length; this value should not be treated as a certified record catch.

Range

Where it lives

67.4%of mapped records

Share of 356 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: Not migratory

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Etheostoma
Species: Etheostoma smithi
ITIS TSN: 168435
WoRMS AphiaID: 1012786
GBIF key: 2382286

Common questions about Slabrock Darter

What is the scientific name of Slabrock Darter?

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

Does Slabrock Darter live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in fresh water.

Where has Slabrock Darter been recorded in the United States?

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

Closest relatives