Substrate Selection by Fantail (Etheostoma flabellare), Greenside (E. blennioides), and Rainbow (E. caeruleum) Darters
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Date
1986-06
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Abstract
The seasonal substrate preferences of fantail, greenside, and rainbow darters were examined in a laboratory stream tank. The fantail darter, tested singly or in the presence of congeners, exhibited a strong preference for the largest substrates (i.e., pebble, cobble-boulder) in all seasons. The percentage of observations of fantail darters on pebble and cobble-boulder substrates ranged from 44.3% to 71.1%. Of the three species examined, the greenside darter showed the greatest preference for the largest substrates. The percentage of observations on the pebble and cobble-boulder substrates for this species ranged from 52.1% to 73.9%. In contrast to the other species, the rainbow darter used all substrates with approximately equal frequency. The results of similarity analyses revealed high levels of overlap (>0.600) in substrate use among the three species in all seasons. However, interspecific differences in morphology, foraging method, and foraging area may reduce the potential for competition for space among these species.
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Author Institution: Department of Zoology, Miami University
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The Ohio Journal of Science. v86, n3 (June, 1986), 124-129