2008. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 117(2): 167-192 CURRENT STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF INDIANA'S SEVEN ENDANGERED DARTER SPECIES (PERCIDAE) Brant E. Fisher: Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area, 7970 South Rowe Street, P.O. Box 3000, Edinburgh, Indiana 46124 USA ABSTRACT. At the beginning of this study seven darter species (Bluebreast, Harlequin, Spotted, Spottail, Tippecanoe, Variegate, and Gilt) were on Indiana's list of endangered fish species; and up-to-date, statewide distributional information was lacking. All known historical and recent records were compiled; and 350 original sites were sampled between 1996 and 2006 in an attempt to determine the accurate, current distribution of each species. Many were found to be more widely-distributed than expected; likely the result of very species-specific sampling techniques used during this study rather than actual range expansions. Harlequin Darter was collected from many previously unknown tributaries, as well as new locations on the mainstems, of the East Fork White River, West Fork White River, and lower Wabash River drainages. Spottail Darter is now known from more locations than it ever has been, although it is still restricted to small streams of the extreme southwestern portion oflndiana. Bluebreast Darter, although once known from many more locations, still maintains populations in several watersheds. Spotted Darter and Tippecanoe Darter were recorded for the first time from the East Fork White River and Wabash River, respectively. Of the species sampled, Gilt Darter and Variegate Darter maintain the most restricted ranges in the state. Gilt Darter, once found in several of the larger rivers of the Wabash River and Lake Erie drainages, is now only found in the upper Tippecanoe River. Variegate Darter is now restricted to the Whitewater River drainage in Indiana. Dams, as well as natural habitat barriers, are limiting further range expansions for many of the darters sampled during this study. As a result of this study, Bluebreast Darter, Harlequin Darter, Spotted Darter, Spottail Darter, and Tippecanoe Darter were removed from Indiana's endangered fish list (Spotted Darter and Tippecanoe Darter were retained as species of special concern). Variegate Darter and Gilt Darter remain on the endangered list. Keywords: Darters, Indiana, distribution Gerking (1945) was the first to provide a et al. (1980), Page (1983), Kuehne & Barbour statewide look at darter (Percidae) distribution (1983), and Page & Burr (1991) provided a in Indiana, compiling all historical fish data North American perspective on darter distri­ known at the time and sampling 412 sites bution, although they included little new across Indiana between 1940 and 1943. Whi­ information specific for Indiana species, rather taker & Gammon (1988) reviewed the distribu­ relying mainly on museum and literature tion of Indiana's endangered fish species, records already included in Gerking (1945). including several darter species, and gathered The aforementioned studies provided invalu­ new information since Gerking (1945). They able information on the distribution of darters included darter distribution information from in Indiana; however, they were somewhat Baker et al. ( 1984), Keevin et al. (1985), Baker limited in scope. They either concentrated & Forsyth (1986), and Grannan & Lodato sampling in one watershed or region of (1986). Several additional regional surveys Indiana, or conversely, sampled only a few specifically targeting darter species in Indiana sites in multiple watersheds over a large region were completed since Whitaker & Gammon of the state. The distributions represented in (1988), including those by Seegert (1987), many of these publications did not actually Gammon & Gammon (1989), Seegert (1990), represent the species' current distribution in the Simon (1993a, 1993b), and Bandoli (1998). Lee state; many watersheds lacked current infor­ mation, and distributions were often based on Correspondence to: Brant E. Fisher, Indiana De­ very old historical records. For example, partment of Natural Resources, Atterbury Fish & Kuehne & Barbour (1983) stated that the Wildlife Area, 7970 South Rowe Street, PO Box Vermillion River basin in Illinois probably 3000, Edinburgh, IN 46124 contained the last population of Bluebreast 167 168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Darter in the entire Wabash River basin, and while a second person, using a backpack that Spotted Darter was likely extinct from the electrofisher, shocked their way downstream drainage. This revealed an obvious lack of new to the seine, disturbing the substrate with their data, as both still occurred in multiple water­ feet as they went. This technique was very sheds in the Wabash River basin in Indiana at effective in collecting darter and madtom the time of their publication. An accurate species adapted to fast water habitats and that depiction of the current, statewide distribution are normally found hiding under rocks; these of Indiana's endangered darter species is not species were not collected as easily using either available. method individually. This method was espe­ Prior to the current study, there had been no cially useful in deep, fast, large river habitats comprehensive, statewide, species-specific sur­ that do not normally get sampled adequately veys for darters completed in Indiana. This using other more standard methods such as information was needed in order to assess the boat electrofishing or seining alone. The status of each of Indiana's seven endangered desired habitat (described in the following darter species [Bluebreast Darter (Etheostoma species accounts) of each darter species was camurum), Harlequin Darter (E. histrio), Spot­ specifically targeted at each site in order to ted Darter (E. maculatum), Spottail Darter (E. determine their presence or absence. squamiceps), Tippecanoe Darter (E. tippeca­ Each year, throughout the course of this noe), Variegate Darter (E. variatum) and Gilt study, literature and scientific purpose license Darter (Percina evides)], and to determine if reports were reviewed in an attempt to identify their current status was warranted. The pur­ all new records by other researchers. These pose of the current study was to: 1) compile all records, along with those compiled prior to and known records, 2) survey all historical loca­ collected during the course of this study were tions, and 3) survey other surrounding areas in then used to depict as accurately as possible the order to determine the current and complete historical and current distribution of each statewide distribution for each of Indiana's species. seven endangered darter species. Specimens vouchered during the course of this study are currently housed at the Atterbury METHODS Fish and Wildlife Area, Edinburgh, Indiana. Prior to sampling, all known records were compiled for the seven darter species of interest RESULTS in this study. These known locations were then During the course of this study, 418 sampling sampled first to determine if the populations events were completed at 350 locations to were still extant. If the species was found to be delineate the distribution of each of Indiana's present, subsequent sampling was then contin­ seven endangered darter species (Fig. 1). For ued further upstream or downstream from the the purposes of reporting on the known records collection point to determine to what extent for each of the seven darter species, the records each species currently inhabited the watershed. were divided into two time periods: 1) pre-1980, Sampling continued in this way until the species and 2) 1980-2006. Collections prior to 1980 was absent from two consecutive sites, in most were considered 'historical' data. For the most cases. It was then assumed that this was a break part this consisted of information compiled by in the species' distribution and further sites Gerking (1945) as well as a few other literature/ upstream/downstream were not sampled. Sites museum records that he did not include. It were sampled between 1996 and 2006, using the is important to note that Gerking (1945) following techniques. included several 'dots' on his distribution maps All darters were collected using a backpack that do not correlate with any of his actual electrofisher (Smith-Root Type VII) or seine sample locations. These, in most instances, (various sizes, although most commonly a were from records he included from the knotless 1.6 mm Delta mesh seine of 1.8 m X University of Michigan Museum of Zoology 1.8 m), although most sites were sampled using fish collection. There was very little additional the "kick-shock" technique (Fisher et al. 2001), collection activity between Gerking (1945) and which utilized a combination of both gears. 1980, except for an occasional Indiana DNR Using this method, one person positioned/ survey report and miscellaneous museum col­ secured a small seine in the stream channel lections. FISHER-ENDANGERED DARTERS 169 1. St. Joseph River 2. St. Marys River 3. Maumee River 4. Eel River 5. Deer Creek 6. Tippecanoe River 7. Big Pine Creek 8. Sugar Creek 9. Patoka River 10. Black River 11. Wabash River 12. Sugar Creek 13. Big Blue River 14. Flatrock River 15. Driftwood River 16. Muscatatuck River 17. East Fork White 18. Richland Creek 19. West Fork White 20. White River 21. Whitewater River 22. Blue River 23. Little Pigeon Creek N Figure !.-All collection locations sampled between 1996-2006, with major streams in which these collections took place identified. 'Current' data consist of those records from The following list of historical and current between 1980 and 2006, including all original records are separated by waterbody and listed collections made during the course of this in each of the species' accounts using the study, indicated by the prefix BEF. More following format - W ATERBODY: County: detailed information on the exact location of Year of Collection: Reference - Museum these collections can be found in Appendix I. catalogue numbers, if voucher specimens are 170 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE N A Figures 2, 3.-2. Historical (pre-1980) collection locations for Bluebreast Darter in Indiana; 3.