Percidae

Slough darter

Etheostoma gracile

Fish Reaching Six Centimeters in North American Waters

• Tropical
• Northern Hemisphere
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• North America
• Small
• Tropical fish

Etheostoma gracile, the slough darter, is a small species of ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae which includes the perches, ruffs and pike-perches. It inhabits slow to moderately flowing waters and with substrates that are predominantly mud, silt, or sand. Major food sources include chironomids, copepods, and cladocerans, as well as mayflies in the spring.