Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S4

ITIS Code: 168394          

National Rank: N5           

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The fantail darter is found abundant throughout the Eastern Broadleaf Aquatic Subregion (Harlan et al. 1987).  It is also found frequently in the Central Plains Aquatic Subregion, particularly in the central portion including the North Raccoon, Boone, Lizard Creek, South Skunk and upper Iowa River watersheds.  Over much of its Iowa range it is the one of the more abundant darters.

Habitat Affinities:

The fantail darter is found in the shallow riffles or flowing pools of clear, small creeks to small rivers with permanent flow, moderate or high-gradients and bottoms of gravel, rubble, flat stones or boulders (Clay 1975; Cross and Collins 1995; Etnier and Starnes 1993; Pflieger 1997; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981). When found in large streams, the fantail darter is found in shallow areas way from the main current (Harlan et al. 1987; Kuehne and Barbour 1983) whereas in tiny streams, it may be found in waters that have ceased to flow (Kuehne and Barbour 1983).  It can tolerate more turbidity and pollution than most darters (Pflieger 1997; Trautman 1981) as well as very low oxygen levels (Harlan et al. 1987). Young are sometimes found in pools (Page 1983; Robison and Buchanan 1988) and adults winter in larger and deeper waters (Trautman 1981).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=443]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records.

(("SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND "MINELEVR" > 3 AND ("DLINKR" > 5 AND

"DLINKR" <= 6)) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND ("GRADSEGR" > 1 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) AND

"TEMP_CODE" <= 1) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND ("GRADSEGR" > 1 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) AND

"TEMP_CODE" > 1 AND "MAXELEVR" > 3) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND ("GRADSEGR" > 2 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 3) AND

"SDISCR_2C" <= 0) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND "GRADSEGR" > 3))

Mississippi River Model:

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

(("pool" = 'S08') OR ("pool" >= 'S10' AND "pool" <= 'S11') OR ("pool" = 'S13'))

Overall Prediction:

(("SUBREGION_" <= 1 AND "MINELEVR" > 3 AND ("DLINKR" > 5 AND

"DLINKR" <= 6)) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND ("GRADSEGR" > 1 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) AND

"TEMP_CODE" <= 1) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND ("GRADSEGR" > 1 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 2) AND

"TEMP_CODE" > 1 AND "MAXELEVR" > 3) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND ("GRADSEGR" > 2 AND "GRADSEGR" <= 3) AND

"SDISCR_2C" <= 0) OR

( "SUBREGION_" > 1 AND "GRADSEGR" > 3))

 OR (("pool" = 'S08') OR ("pool" >= 'S10' AND "pool" <= 'S11') OR ("pool" = 'S13'))

Literature Cited:

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Kuehne, R.A., and R.W. Barbour.  1983.  The American darters.  University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.  177 pp.

Page, L.M. 1983.  Handbook of darters.  T.F.H. Publishing, Inc., Neptune City, New Jersey.  271 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Ackerman, G.L.  1964.  Yellow River survey.  Unpublished report.  Iowa Conservation

Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Bernstein, N.P.  2003.  Personal communications and unpublished reports.  Mount Mercy

College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Bernstein, N.P., M.Getting, T. Kamp, S. Christian, R. Smith, J. Steele, and S. Steele. 

2000.  The status of the blacknose shiner (Notropis heterolepis) in Iowa: A preliminary survey.  Journal of the Iowa Academy of Sciences 107(1):16-20.

Call, R.E.  1890.  The fishes of the Des Moines basin. Iowa Academy of Sciences 1 pt.2

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Cleary, R.E.  1950.  Forage fish abundance and distribution in N.E. Iowa.  Quarterly

Biology Reports 2(1):18-26.

Coon, D.M.  1971.  A fisheries survey of the upper Skunk River, Iowa.  Master’s thesis. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. 

Coon, T.G.  1980.  Fish sampling data sheets. University of Missouri-Columbia,

Columbia, Missouri.

Decorah Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Decorah, Iowa.

Dowell, V.  1981.  Collections in Cedar River Basin, 1956-1981.  University of Northern

Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Eckblad, J.W.  1979.  A natural resource inventory of the aquatic habitats of the Volga

River recreation area with pre-impoundment predictions for the new lake.  Contract 8152. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Fairport Fish Management and Hatchery.  2003.  Field notes and unpublished reports.

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Fairport, Iowa.

Gelwicks, G., J. Heitke, and G. Simmons.  2002.  Contemporary fish survey. Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Goellner, K.E.  1976.  Field Notes: 1949-1976.  Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Gritters, S.A.  1994.  Assessment of natural trout reproduction. Fish Management

Investigations 1994 Annual Report. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Gritters, S.A.  1997.  Evaluation of water quality, fish and macroinvertebrates in Rock

Creek.  Fish Management Investigations 1997 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Guttenberg Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Guttenberg, Iowa.

Harrison, H.M.  1950.  Biological report on Prairie Creek, Webster County. Unpublished

report.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

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Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Brighton, Iowa.  

Lake MacBride Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports. 

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Solon, Iowa.

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Midwest Environmental Science Center, Bellevue, Iowa.

Lyon,  D.  2002.  Personal communication.  Retired biology professor, Cornell College,

Mount Vernon, Iowa.

Manchester Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

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collections mad during 1889, 1890, 1891.  Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. 10(1890):217-248.

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Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  1999.  Field notes: Topeka shiner survey, 1999 in-channel collections. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W.  2000.  Field notes: Topeka shiner survey, 2000 in-channel collections. 

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Menzel, B.W., J.B. Barnum, and L.M. Antosch.  1984.  Ecological alterations of Iowa

prairie-agricultural streams.  Iowa State Journal of Research  59(1):5-30.

Menzel, B.W., and H.L. Fierstine.  1976.  A study of the effects of stream channelization

and bank stabilization on warmwater sport fish in Iowa: Subproject No. 5.  Effects of long-reach stream channelization on distribution and abundance of fishes.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Contract 14-16-0008-745.  Iowa Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Ames, Iowa.

Middendorf, R., and R. Gent.  1981.  Fishery inventory of southeast Iowa tributary

streams.  Project 81-III-C-14.  Job Completion Reports.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Milligan, J.  1987.  Stream fish surveys: Report of findings Iowa Army Ammunition

Plant, Middletown, Iowa. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Genoa, Wisconsin.

Mount Mercy College Museum.  2002.  Vertebrate collection database report.  Mount

Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Museum of Zoology.  2002.  Division of Fishes collection database.  University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May, 2002)

Nord, R.C.  1967.  A compendium of fishery information on the Upper Mississippi River.

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois. 238 pp. 

Olson, J.R. 1998.  Historic fish survey database.  Water Quality Bureau, Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Paragamian, V.L.  1990.  Fish populations of Iowa rivers and streams.  Technical Bulletin

No. 3.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.  2002.  Division of Ichthyology

collection of fishes.  University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.

Schmadeke, D.P. 1977.  An annotated list of fishes of the Shellrock River, Iowa. 

Master's thesis.  University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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summary.  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Meeting, Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory.  1988.  A survey of the benthic

macroinvertebrates and fishes of the Big Spring Basin, Iowa.  Report 88-9.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wunder, G., and S. Bishop. 1993.  Sny Magill Creek Fishery Assessment.  Fish

Management Investigations 1993 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wunder, G., and S.A. Gritters.  1994.  Sny Magill Creek Fishery Assessment.  Fish

Management Investigations 1994 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Wunder, G., and J. Jansen. 1997.  Sny Magill Creek Fishery Assessment for 1995 and

1996.  Fish Management Investigations 1997 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Aadland, L.P.,  C.M. Cook, M.T. Negus, H.G. Drewes, and  C.S. Anderson.  1991.  Microhabitat preferences of selected stream fishes and community-oriented approach to instream flow assessments.  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Section of Fisheries, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  142 pp.

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Berkman, H.E.  1984.  Effects of sedimentation on stream fish communities in northeast Missouri.  Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  116 pp.

Chipps, S.R., W.B. Perry, and S.A. Perry.  1994.  Patterns of microhabitat use among four species of darters in three Appalachian streams.  American Midland Naturalist 131:175-180.

Cross, F.B.  1967.  Handbook of fishes of Kansas.  University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication  No. 45, Lawrence, Kansas.  357 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Gelwick, F.P.  1990.   Longitudinal and temporal comparisons of riffle and pool fish assemblages in a northeastern Oklahoma Ozark stream.  Copeia 1990:1072-1082.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Lake, C.T.  1936.  The life history of the fantailed darter. American Midland Naturalist 17:816-830.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Lyons, J.  1989.  Changes in the abundance of small littoral-zone fishes in Lake Mendota, Wisconsin.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 67: 2910-2916.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Smale, M.A., and C. F. Rabeni.  1995.  Hypoxia and hyperthermia tolerances of headwater stream fishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society  124:698-710.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Winn, H.E.  1958a.  Comparative reproductive behavior and ecology of fourteen species of darters (Pisces- Percidae).  Ecological Monographs 28:155-191.

Winn, H.E.  1958b.  Observations on the reproductive habits of darters (pisces-Percidae).  American Midland Naturalist 59(1):190-212.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, http://www.ohiodnr.com/default.htm.