Warrior Darter
VU

Warrior Darter

Etheostoma bellator

Stable

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_darter

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Warrior Darter faces severe habitat degradation from coal mining activities, particularly mountaintop removal and valley fills that destroy headwater streams in the Cahaba River system. Agricultural runoff and urban development contribute additional sedimentation and chemical pollution, while dam construction fragments remaining populations and alters natural flow regimes essential for spawning.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Warrior Darter inhabits clear, fast-flowing headwater streams and small rivers with rocky substrates in the Cahaba River drainage of Alabama. It requires well-oxygenated waters with gravel and cobble bottoms for spawning and feeding on aquatic invertebrates.

FRESHWATER· major

Other threatened species in PERCIDAE

Zingel asperEN

Zingel asper

Declining
CR

Vardar Streber

Zingel balcanicus

Unknown
Vermilion DarterCR

Vermilion Darter

Etheostoma chermocki

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Diamond DarterCR

Diamond Darter

Crystallaria cincotta

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Threatened in United States

VU

Lepiota echinella

Unknown
VU

Paddlefish

Polyodon spathula

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VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

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Lyophyllum deliberatum

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Warrior Darter classified as Vulnerable?
Warrior Darter is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. The Warrior Darter faces severe habitat degradation from coal mining activities, particularly mountaintop removal and valley fills that destroy headwater streams in the Cahaba River system. Agricultural runoff and urban development contribute additional sedimentation and chemical pollution, while dam construction fragments remaining populations and alters natural flow regimes essential for spawning.
Where does Warrior Darter live?
Warrior Darter occurs in United States. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Warrior Darter?
The main threats to Warrior Darter are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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