Spotted Darter: Facts & Habitat

About Spotted Darter

The spotted darter (Etheostoma maculatum) 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 where it occurs in the basin of the Ohio River. It inhabits fast-flowing rocky riffles of medium-sized and smaller rivers. This species can reach a length of 9 centimetres (3.5 in) TL though most only reach about 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in).

NativeFresh17 states

Habitat

The spotted darter lives in freshwater rives. These rivers are typically marked with the presence of boulders and other rocks. Adult spotted darters can be found in deeper sections of the river. The range of the spotted darter includes Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania. However, its range has greatly decreased. For example, in the state of New York only a few specimens have been observed in a span ranging several years In the state of Ohio, the darter is considered endangered.

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Spotted darter (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Range

Where it lives

33.4%of mapped records

Share of 518 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 17 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water: WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Migration: Migratory
Pattern: Potamodromous — migrates within fresh water

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Superclass: Actinopterygii
Class: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Percidae
Genus: Nothonotus
Species: Nothonotus maculatus
ITIS TSN: 1148930
WoRMS AphiaID: 1623990
GBIF key: 2382235

Common questions about Spotted Darter

What is the scientific name of Spotted Darter?

The scientific name is Nothonotus maculatus, in the family Percidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Spotted Darter live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in fresh water.

Where has Spotted Darter been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 17 states, with the most records in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives