Through my 30 years of fish keeping, including keeping and maintaining a large number of darter species, I've yet to become bored with them.
Many species exhibit exuberant colors in numerous variations.
Darters also represent a working laboratory in the processes of evolution and are ideal for genetic studies. The many species have developed various modes of reproduction, from the very simple egg broadcasters to the much more evolved cave spawners. The subject of this article is both modest in color and size, yet I have always had a special interest in them. Their subgenus is Ozark, which reflects their primary location within the Ozark region of North America. They are found mostly within springs and seeps, a habitat which places them in a precarious situation.