The greenside darter is a species of fish in the family Percidae. It inhabits swift riffles in the eastern United States and southern Ontario.
Similar species: Perch-like Fishes
By Zach Alley
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Uploaded Jan 10, 2020. Captured Apr 9, 2019 03:55 in 9225 E Miami River Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45247, USA.
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Greenside darters (Etheostoma blennioides) live in the rivers and lakes of eastern North America where they tend to prefer the riffles of moderate to fast-moving water. They reach sexual maturity at one to two years of age, and grow no larger than about 127 mm (5 in) in length. Greenside darters have a reduced swim bladder, which makes it difficult for them to float in water. So, they spend most of their time on the bottom of their habitat.
They have numerous predators, but the darters have a strategy in which they freeze when a predator approaches. They can remain frozen for awhile, blending in with their surroundings and avoiding predation. Aside from serving as a food source, greenside darters have another important role in their ecosystem: they play an important part in the lifecycle of several freshwater mussels. For example, the critically endangered birdwing pearlymussel (Lemiox rimosus) uses the greenside darter as its host. The mussel has a snail-mimicking lure to attract the darters, who happen to love eating snails. Once the fish bites down on the lure, the mussel releases a load of tiny larvae, which attach to the gills of the fish. The mussel larvae can’t swim and will die without a host fish. They remain attached until they have developed a shell, at which point they let go, bury themselves in the riffles, and live as long as 50 years! {Spotted in Ohio, USA by JungleDragon user, Zach Alley} #JungleDragon #GreensideDarter #Etheostomablennioides
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