Riverine Fish

Ohio is blessed with an abundance of water, but like all developing areas, past and present land use practices affect our water resources.

Land uses that allow soil to runoff into our waterways cause silting of streams and increased turbidity, which can result in a lower quality of water and thus a loss in the diversity of aquatic organisms.

Fish have specific habitat requirements, thus the health of a fish community can tell us a great deal about the quality of the waterway where they reside.

Riverine Fish of Ohio's Scenic Rivers

Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum)

Johnny DarterThis is probably the most common and widespread of the darters in Ohio.

It inhabits streams and rivers of all sizes where it is found in pools and other slack water habitats on sand and gravel substrates.

It is not as sensitive as other species of darters to increased water turbidities and will tolerate some siltation of its habitats.

Identified by the series of black "w"'s along its sides, Johnny darters are not as colorful as most of the other darter species found in Ohio.