Iowa DNR
BioNet
River & Stream Biological Monitoring
Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
Physical Habitat Assessments

Banded Darter Etheostoma zonale

Family
Percidae (Perches)
Tolerance
Sensitive
Trophic Class
Benthic Invertivore
Is Exotic to Iowa?
False
Is Lithophilous Spawner?
False
Is Hybrid?
False
State Listing Status
Not Listed
Assessment Program Statistics

This species was found at 113 bioassessment sites, 0 rapid fish bioassessment sites, 61 fisheries assessment sites, and 2 fisheries presence-only assessment sites. In total, it was collected at 170 distinct sites, or 11.2% of the 1512 total sites monitored by the bioassessment program. It is the 40th most commonly collected species.

The Banded Darter was collected in 274 bioassessment sampling sessions and 215 fisheries assessment sessions. It was present in 0 rapid bioassessment sessions and 2 presence-only sessions.

The biological assessment program has collected a total of 9,039 individual Banded Darter specimens, ranking it the #33 most collected fish.

Species Characteristics

A moderate sized darter reaching about 2.5-inches long. Its back and upper sides are mottled olive-brown with 6-7 small dark brown cross bars, and its sides are covered with dark green bars with a yellow-white belly. It has a dusky bar under the eye and another extending forward from the eye onto the snout. It has 12 dorsal fin rays, 9 anal fin rays, and 45 to 48 scales along its lateral line, which is complete. The cheeks are scaled.

Species Distribution Maps

HUC12 watersheds where this species has been found