Banded Darter (Etheostoma zonale)
The banded darter is widespread in the Mississippi watershed from southern Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to northern Illinois, and from eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi north through Ohio and Tennessee to western New York. It has been introduced into the Susquehanna and Savannah Rivers on the Atlantic coast. It spread rapidly through the Susquehanna in Pennsylvania and is now abundant in the southern part of the east branch of the Susquehanna River in New York.
The banded darter lives in moderate-sized streams and small rivers where the current is moderate to swift. In the spring, it moves into smaller streams to spawn. It is usually found among gravel, cobbles, or boulders but sometimes it is found on mud or sand.
Distribution of banded darters in NY state.
An image of the banded darter is also available for download.
The above species description and all pictures of this fish were taken out of "The Inland Fishes of New York State" by C. Lavett Smith, published by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 1985.