Fish in Focus: Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale
Banded darter, Etheostoma zonale
© Garold W. Sneegas and Aquatic Kansas Images
Nikonos II, 35mm and Hydro Photo T2 close-up lens, 1/60 sec. at f/16, Ikelite Ai and Ms substrobes, Fujichrome Velvia 50
Banded darters inhabit rocky riffle areas of small creeks to medium sized rivers. In the book "The Fishes of Missouri" by William L. Pflieger, he observes that banded darters are "more often observed clambering about over algae-covered boulders in pools having enough current to prevent deposition of silt." This is exactly the case where the above photo was taken. It was taken in Big Sugar Creek, McDonald County, Missouri in a pool with large algae-covered boulders with a strong current.