Channel Darter
(Percina copelandi)
Status: Special Concern (ESA 2017), Endangered: Lake Erie & Ontario Populations (COSEWIC 2016)
Species Identification:
The Channel Darter is a small perch species that only grows to about 7 cm in length. Their body colouring is tan to light brown or olive, with dark brown speckling on their back and blotches on their sides. They have a white-cream belly, and clear fins that can also be lightly speckled.
Diet:
Channel Darters are benthic feeders, which means they feed off of the bottom of lakes and rivers. They mostly eat aquatic insect species, but they will also consume algae and crustaceans.
Habitat and Range:
The Channel Darter can be found throughout the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. They are found in 15 eastern US states, from Michigan south to Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as southeastern Kansas. In Canada, the Channel Darter is only found in the southern regions of Ontario and Quebec. In Ontario, they have four main populations that live in rivers and drainage areas of these water bodies: Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie, Bay of Quinte, and the Ottawa River. They can be found in the southeastern parts of The Land Between around the Trent River, and in a few river systems between Peterborough and Ottawa.
Adult Channel Darters prefer to live in clear rivers of all sizes or shallow lakes or shorelines with moderate currents. They prefer habitats with sandy or small gravel bottoms. Spawning habitats have a slightly stronger current with shallow water. Juvenile Channel Darters have shown a preference for streams or rivers over shallow lake areas.
Biology and Behaviour:
Migration and dispersal of the Channel Darter remains relatively unknown. Studies that have been conducted have found that Channel Darters generally prefer to inhabit water deeper than 3 m during the day, and less than 1 m at night. Seasonal movements are also unknown, but it is suspected that they will overwinter in deep pools with lots of debris.
Channel Darters have been sampled in Ontario with other fish species such as Logperch and Mimic Shiner. In Quebec they are found with Trout-perch and Johnny Darter. In fact, in areas where Channel Darters are found with Logperch and Johnny Darters there has been evidence of both competition and interbreeding. However, successful reproduction between these species is not likely considering their reproductive behaviours.
Channel Darters become sexually mature at one year, and males generally grow larger than females. Spawning will take place in the spring and summer when water temperatures reach 14.5°C. Proper water flow is also very important for spawning, as Channel Darters need the right amount of flow for egg laying and fertilizing. The male will select breeding ranges of gravel and pebbles, and drive females into the centre of his territory where she will dig herself into the substrate. The male will remain above her to immediately fertilize the eggs as she lays them. The female Channel Darter will lay 4-10 eggs about 1.4 mm in diameter. Females will generally spawn with multiple males each season and can lay up to 400 eggs. However, the lack of males in an area may mean females will not be able to fertilize all of their eggs. Not much is known about hatching and juvenile Channel Darters except that juveniles are usually found in sand and gravel areas. Information on predators is lacking, but it is suspected to be mainly larger fish species.
Similar Species:
The Channel Darter can be confused with most other Darter species such as the River Darter, Johnny Darter and Tessellated Darter. Differentiation can only be made upon close inspection of their anal spines and markings.
Conservation and recovery strategies:
While Ontario does not have any strategies in place for Channel Darter recovery, Quebec has written a recovery strategy in 2001. They aim to improve knowledge of the species, protect known habitats, improve known habitats, and restore heavily disturbed habitats. A federal recovery strategy was also created by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 2013 which includes a five-step program. 1) Research, 2) Monitoring, 3) Management and Coordination, 4) Protection, Restoration, and Stewardship, 5) Communication and Public Awareness. They have already begun work on this recovery strategy by increasing studies on species distribution, habitat, and threats. The DFO has also put into action several watershed and ecosystem recovery strategies, especially in the Lake St. Clair region, Detroit River, and Lake Erie. Both Ontario and Quebec are also looking into the impacts and threats of commercial bait fishing, and efforts have been made for communication and public awareness.
Additional Resources:
- iNaturalist resource page on the Channel Darter
- Government of Ontario Channel Darter page
- COSEWIC 2016 Assessment and Report on the status of the Channel Darter
Sources:
Government of Ontario. 2014. Channel Darter. Retrieved from: https://www.ontario.ca/page/channel-darter
COSEWIC. 2016. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Channel Darter Percina copelandi, Lake Erie populations, Lake Ontario populations and St. Lawrence populations, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xvi + 68 pp. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/species-risk-public-registry/cosewic-assessments-status-reports/channel-darter-2016.html
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