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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: brown darter
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: Page (1983); Page and Burr (1991); Mettee et al. (1996).
Size: 5.3 cm.
Native Range:
St. Johns drainage, Florida, to Perdido River drainage, Alabama (Page and Burr 1991).
Nonindigenous Occurrences: The brown darter has been found in some tributaries of the Choctawhatchee Bay in Okaloosa and Walton counties, Florida (Lee et al. 1980 et seq.). The species was first recorded from this area in October 1964, when four individuals were collected from Swift Creek at the State Route 20 bridge (museum specimen). Since then, many more have been captured from the Rocky Bayou system. Only one individual has been reported from the Boggy Bayou system. On 5 May 1971, one specimen was captured from Juniper Creek at the State Route 85 bridge (museum specimen; H. Jelks, personal communication).
Means of Introduction: It is possible that the brown darter spread by natural dispersal through estuaries into new tributaries of Rocky Bayou. Introduction at Boggy Bayou was probably via bait bucket. Multiple bait bucket introductions may have occurred in this area (Burkhead and Williams 1992). Another possible means of introduction is stock contamination. In the 1950s and 1960s, certain sections of the Rocky Creek watershed were stocked with rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass from the federal fish hatchery in Welaka, FL. The hatchery is located within the native range of the brown darter, and it is possible that brown darters were accidentally included in the shipment (Burkhead and Williams 1992).
Status: Established in lower reaches of Rocky Bayou stream systems; reported from Boggy Bayou. Populations fluctuate over a period of 3-5 years.
Impact of Introduction: The brown darter is replacing the Okaloosa darter E. okaloosae in portions of several creeks tributary to Choctawhatchee Bay (Burkhead, personal communication).
Remarks:
It is debated whether the brown darters in Rocky Bayou represent introductions or a species that was overlooked.
Voucher specimens: (Northeast Louisiana University Museum of Zoology - NELUMZ 21364-5, UAIC 1493.56).
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Pam Fuller
Revision Date: 11/28/2005 Citation for this information:
Pam Fuller. 2009. Etheostoma edwini. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=811> Revision Date: 11/28/2005
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