On Sun, 27 May 2007 16:32:32 -0400, jeff wrote:


i forgot to mention the tangerine darters we saw in the trib to the
tellico. i'd never seen a fish in fresh water, other than koi or
goldfish, that was solid orange. these little guys were solid orange,
guarding a nest. the females fled as i approached, but not these neon
protectors. we had seen other fish (dace, suckers, chubs, redsides??) in
slickrock that had built up a huge nest of rocks, but none were orange.
an unusual sight among many others experienced during this trip...

That's actually pretty darned cool.

"The tangerine darter is native to North Carolina, and it occurs only in the
Tennessee River drain-age within the Appalachian Mountain region. It tends to
occupy large creeks and small rivers with clear water, which further limits
its range and abundance.Because this species has a restricted range and
inhabits specific types of waterways, the tangerine darter is currently on the
N.C.Natural Heritage Program’s Watch List."

Good picture here - wicked colorful fish, like a yellow perch on acid...
http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/Sites/wildlifesociety/darter.html

/daytripper