If you’ve been fishing for a while, you’re likely familiar with bass, bluegill, walleye, and several other fish species. However, you’ve probably never encountered the tiny diamond darter, a species now found exclusively in the Mountain State.
According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the diamond darter once inhabited five states: Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia. However, damming and water pollution have drastically reduced its range. Today, it can only be found in the Elk River in southern West Virginia, with fewer than 125 sightings in the past 30 years.
Diamond darters can live between two and seven years, feeding on insects by burying themselves in sand and darting out to ambush their prey. Water pollution from coal mining, oil and gas development, erosion, timber harvesting, and inadequate wastewater treatment poses a significant threat to these fish. They, along with the insects they feed on, require clean water for egg-laying. Additionally, their small population size and isolation exacerbate their vulnerability.
The diamond darter was declared an endangered species in 2013 and was also listed as one of the 12 most imperiled fish by the Southeastern Fishes Council.
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