Window into Wildlife

By Kameron Burgess, The Longleaf Alliance Photos by Derek Wheaton WINDOW WILDLIFE into

Clear seepage stream habitat of the Okaloosa darter

Okaloosa Darter Etheostoma okaloosae

DESCRIPTION

Okaloosa darters are just one of over 150 currently recognized species of darters (Etheostoma). They are in the family Percidae, meaning they are related to species such as walleye, saugerties, and yellow perch. They are small fish, rarely exceeding two inches in length.

Although not as brilliantly colored as some of its relatives, the Okaloosa darter is still a subtly handsome fish. Both males and females have a sandy, olive-colored background with large brown blotches running down each side. Mature males develop a row of vibrant orange spots on their dorsal fin.

HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION

Okaloosa darters inhabit a small range, almost all of which exists within the boundaries of Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. They live in clear seepage streams surrounded by sandhill habitat. Like many places within the longleaf ecosystem, these streams are extremely delicate. They are especially vulnerable to runoff; sediment deposits choke out the vegetation these fish depend on for cover and breeding.

DIET

Okaloosa darters are small, so they need even smaller food. They mainly feed on small insect larvae such as mayfly nymphs, caddisflies, and midge larvae.

BREEDING

Breeding primarily occurs from March to October, peaking in April with a small spike in breeding behavior in October. Females lay an average of 80 eggs, which are individually attached to vegetation after being laid.

CONSERVATION

In 1973, the Okaloosa darter was federally listed as endangered. At that time, there were fewer than 10,000 of these fish in the wild. Following decades of conservation efforts, as well as reduction of sediment erosion near road crossings, there are now more than 600,000 Okaloosa darters swimming in the wild. In 2011, the darter was downlisted to threatened, and in late 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed removing the Okaloosa darter from the Endangered Species List.

This is an incredible milestone and would not have been possible without the partnerships between Eglin's Natural Resources and Management division (Jackson Guard), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and many others.

REFERENCES Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Okaloosa darter.” 2022. myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles /freshwater/okaloosa-darter U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2021. Draft Post: Delisting

Monitoring Plan for the Okaloosa Darter (Etheostoma okaloosae). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Air

Force Partnership, Niceville, Florida. WUWF FM. “Okaloosa Darter saved from extinction.” 2022. wuwf.org/local-news/2021-11-18/okaloosa-darter-savedfrom-extinction