Fish Details

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Fantail Darter

Characteristics

A slender species usually about 2-inches long. The spinous dorsal fin is low with tips on dorsal spines forming fleshy knobs in adult males. The body is sand to brown with a small dark spot on each scale. The dorsal fin rays number 12 to 14, and the anal rays are 7 to 9. Scale numbers along the lateral line are usually more than 50.

Distribution

Abundant throughout the forested regions of northeast Iowa; found often in central and north-central Iowa, particularly in the North Raccoon, Boone, Lizard Creek, South Skunk and upper Iowa River watersheds. It is one of the more abundant darters in much of its Iowa range.

Foods

Midge larvae and other aquatic insects; Isopods and amphipods may be important seasonally.

State Record

State Records are not documented for non-game species.

Expert Tip

In rivers and streams, these fish might be the "minnows" that trout, Walleyes and Smallmouth Bass are used to eating.

Details

The Fantail Darter is found in the shallow riffles or flowing pools of clear, small creeks to small rivers with permanent flow, moderate or high gradients and bottoms of gravel, rubble, flat stones or boulders. When found in large streams, it is found in shallow areas away from the main current, whereas in tiny streams, it may be found in waters that have ceased to flow. It can tolerate more turbidity and pollution than most darters, as well as very low oxygen levels. Young are sometimes found in pools and adults winter in larger and deeper waters.

Spawning starts in spring as males form and defend territories around rocks which have a slight clearance above the substrate. The spiny dorsal fin is used to clean the underside of the rock. A female moves under the rock and lays an average of 38 eggs. Spawning position is head to tail, the female inverted and the male upright, except at the moment of fertilization. About 450 eggs per female are laid, several spawnings with the same or different males are common.

Recent stream sampling information is available from Iowa DNR's biological monitoring and assessment program.

Sources:

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Loan-Wilsey, A. K., C. L. Pierce, K. L. Kane, P. D. Brown and R. L. McNeely. 2005. The Iowa Aquatic Gap Analysis Project Final Report. Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Iowa State University, Ames

Illustration by Maynard Reece, from Iowa Fish and Fishing

Return

Present in these Iowa water bodies:

Lake/Stream	County	Location	Acres/Length
Yellow River	Allamakee	Coldwater section begins below Livingood Springs and east of Old Stage Road flowing through Allamakee County and the Effigy Mounds National Monument where it empties into the Mississippi River.	25.00
Paint Creek	Allamakee	Located in Yellow River State Forest, 3 miles west of Harpers Ferry off of State Forest Road or CR B25.	11.00
Waterloo Creek	Allamakee	Streams runs through Dorchester along Waterloo Creek Drive and Highway 76.	10.50
Bloody Run Creek	Clayton	Located 2 miles west of Marquette off of Highway 18.	6.50
North Bear Creek	Winneshiek	Located 2.5 miles northeast of Highlandville.	6.00
South Bear Creek	Winneshiek	Located at Highlandville.	5.20
Sny Magill Creek	Clayton	Located in the Sny Magill Wildlife Management Area, 3 miles southwest of McGregor along Keystone Road.	5.00
Swiss Valley Creek	Dubuque	Located 3 miles south of Dubuque in Swiss Valley Park just off Swiss Valley Road.	3.25
Little Paint	Allamakee	Located in Yellow River State Forest, 3 miles west of Harpers Ferry just off of State Forest Road or CR B25.	3.00
Pine Creek	Allamakee	Located on Pine Creek Wildlife Management Area, 2 miles northeast of Sattre on Balsam Road or CR W60.	2.50
Wapsi River Trout Section	Mitchell	Located 0.5 mile west of McIntire.	2.50
Turtle Creek	Mitchell	Located about 1/2 mile north of St. Ansgar off of Highway 218.	2.20
Upper Swiss Valley Creek	Dubuque	Located 3 miles south of Dubuque near Swiss Valley Nature Center, just off Swiss Valley Road	2.10
North Cedar Creek	Clayton	Located 3 miles west of McGregor off of CR B60 or Ivory Road.	2.00
White Pine Hollow	Dubuque	This fishery is located primarily within White Pine Hollow State preserve, about 2 miles northwest of Luxemburg. Access to this fishery is difficult. A small parking area is available on the east side of the preserve. Best fishing is on the west side.	1.80
Buck Creek	Clayton	Located 3 miles northeast of Garnavillo.	1.70
Hewett and Ensign Creeks (Ensign Hollow)	Clayton	Located on Ensign Hollow Wildlife Management Area about 5 miles north of Strawberry Point. Access is provided on the north side of 322nd street.	1.30
Grimes Hollow	Delaware	1.5 mile east of Colesburg off Hubbard Road. T90N-R3W; Sections 2, 3.	1.20
Little Turkey River	Delaware	3 miles east of Colesburg in Hoffman Wildlife Management Area off Hubbard Road	1.20
Bear Creek	Fayette	Located 6 miles southeast of Fayette off of Kornhill Road or CR C24. Access from 128th Street.	1.20
Tete des Morts River	Jackson	Located near St. Donatus. T87N, R3E, S4	1.10
Ram Hollow	Delaware		1.00
Mink Creek	Fayette	Located on private property 1.5 miles north of Wadena, access on Bighorn Road.	0.90
Big Mill Creek	Jackson	Located on Big Mill Wildlife Management Area, 4.5 miles west of Bellevue just south of Mill Creek Road.	0.90
Twin Bridges	Delaware	Just south of Highway 3 about 5.5 miles west of Colesburg in Twin Bridges County Park.	0.90
Miners Creek	Clayton	Stream is located west of Guttenberg.	0.80
Spring Creek	Mitchell	Located on the west edge of Orchard.	0.80
Little Mill Creek	Jackson	Located on Little Mill Wildlife Management Area and private property 2 miles west of Bellevue, with parking south off 216th street.	0.70
Bankston Creek	Dubuque	Just south of Park Hollow Road, 3 miles north of Bankston in Bankston County Park	0.60
Baileys Ford	Delaware	3 miles southeast of Manchester - follow signage from Jefferson Road.	0.60
South Cedar Creek	Clayton	Located 2 miles south of Garnavillo and may be accessed from Jigsaw Road.	0.50
Mossy Glen	Clayton	Located five miles northwest of Edgewood at the termination of the Level B portion of Eagle Ave. A small parking lot is on the opposite side of the farmstead with a 0.4 mile walk, then follow the grade B road to the lower end of the trout stream.	0.50
Brush Creek	Jackson	Located 3.5 miles north of Andrew just south of 200th street. Only this "upper" section of Brush Creek is stocked. The "lower" section of Brush Creek is no longer stocked with trout and is closed to public fishing.	0.50
Bohemian Creek	Winneshiek	Located about 1.5 miles east of Protivin.	0.30
Monastery Creek	Dubuque	Monastery Creek can be accessed through the Dubuque County Swiss Valley Nature Preserve about 4 miles SW of Dubuque off of Swiss Valley Rd.	0.20