Stargazing Darter: Facts & Habitat

About Stargazing Darter

The stargazing darter (Percina uranidea) 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 United States.

NativeFresh8 states

In 2025, the snail darter (Percina tanasi), known for its political significance in the snail darter controversy, was determined to be an allopatric eastern population of Percina uranidea. This would expand the distribution of the stargazing darter to the eastern Tennessee River drainage.

Geographic distribution

Found in the St. Francis, White and Ouachita River drainages in Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana; formerly in lower the Wabash River in Indiana and Illinois, where now extirpated. If the snail darter also belongs to this species, as determined by phylogenetic studies, then the species also inhabits the eastern Tennessee River drainage in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. This eastern population (as the snail darter) was considered endangered and even nearly extirpated for a period of time, but has since seen significant recovery due to Endangered Species Act protections.

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Stargazing 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. The compilation combines published observations; diets can vary with age, locality, and available food.

Habitat preferences

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

The source records associations with cobble. An association indicates reported use, rather than an exclusive requirement.

Reproduction and parental care

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

Size and recorded longevity

FishTraits reports a maximum total length of 9 centimetres. Some entries use an estimated asymptotic length; this value should not be treated as a certified record catch.

Range

Where it lives

49.2%of mapped records

Share of 317 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 8 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: Percina
Species: Percina uranidea
ITIS TSN: 168500
WoRMS AphiaID: 1019798
GBIF key: 2382054

Common questions about Stargazing Darter

What is the scientific name of Stargazing Darter?

The scientific name is Percina uranidea, in the family Percidae. Classification follows ITIS.

Does Stargazing Darter live in fresh water or salt water?

WoRMS records this species in fresh water.

Where has Stargazing Darter been recorded in the United States?

GBIF has observations in 8 states, with the most records in Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Closest relatives