The johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to shallow waters …

Male Johnny darters aggressively defend their nests, even against fish up to 3 times their size. They attack by butting the threat with their head and biting at the fins of an intruding fish. Johnny darters clean the underside of the chosen spawning object with their anal, pectoral, and tail fins.

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The johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to shallow waters …

True, lampreys and eels have snakelike bodies — but they also have fins and smooth, slimy skin, which snakes do not. The Johnny darter occurs primarily in pools and slow-moving riffles in sandy streams. It's common in prairie streams of northeastern and central Missouri.

The Johnny darter is the most common darter in the state. It lives in most of our lakes, streams, and rivers from the Boundary Waters to the southern prairie. Johnny darters are among the first fishes to move into new aquatic habitats or to recolonize a stream after a catastrophe.

Darters play an important role in aquatic food chains and are some of the most colorful fish in Iowa. Habitat preference is diverse. They are found in streams of various size, gradient, substrate and clarity. Of all the darter species, it may be the most tolerant of diverse conditions.

The Johnny darter is one of several species of darters found in North Dakota. Darters live in swift-moving streams and apparently are not important prey for larger fish because of their small size and habit of hiding under rocks and in crevices. They feed on small aquatic insect larvae.

Native Range: St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins from Hudson Bay to southern Mississippi, and from Quebec and Virginia to Saskatchewan and Colorado; on Atlantic Slope in James, Roanoke, Tar, and Neuse River drainages, Virginia and North Carolina; on Gulf Slope in Mobile Bay drainage, Alabama and Mississippi.

The johnny darter lives near the bottom of creeks, rivers and lakes. It spawns in May. The female deposits as many as 1,100 eggs under rocks or other objects lying on the bottom. The eggs are laid and fertilized while the fish are upside down. The male guards the eggs. The johnny darter eats crustaceans and insects.