Coppercheek Darter
Etheostoma aquali
About This Fish

The Coppercheek Darter is only found in the Duck River System in west-central Tennessee. It resides in rocky riffles with swift current. As the common name implies, both males and females of this species have wavy copper lines on their cheeks. They lay their eggs on the underside of slab rocks, and males guard the nests.

Literature

Burr, B M., C.A. Taylor, and K.M. Cook. 1993. Status survey of the coppercheek darter, striated darter, and saddled madtom in the Duck River Drainage, Tennessee. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Nashville, Tennessee.

Williams, J.D., and D.A. Etnier. 1978. Etheostoma aquali, a new percid fish (subgenus Nothonotus) from the Duck and Buffalo rivers, Tennessee. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 91:463-471. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34601734#page/489/mode/1up