About Etheostoma lepidum (Baird & Girard, 1853)
The greenthroat darter, scientifically named Etheostoma lepidum (Baird & Girard, 1853), is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish. It is classified as a darter in the subfamily Etheostomatinae, which belongs to the family Percidae — this family also includes perches, ruffes, and pikeperches. This species is found in the Colorado, Guadalupe, and Nueces River drainages in Texas, as well as in the Pecos River system in New Mexico. In terms of habitat associations, the greenthroat darter is primarily a spring-run species at the macrohabitat scale. It is scarce or entirely absent from very eurythermal locations. It can be found in a variety of non-turbid stream habitats with substrates ranging from bedrock to silt-covered deposits, according to Platania (1980). It is a typical riffle species that lives over gravel and rubble, particularly when aquatic vegetation is present. It also inhabits spring areas, and sometimes occurs in cool, vegetated pools. Its largest populations are found in vegetated rocky riffles. After hatching, this species is benthic. For spawning, it lays its eggs on vegetation or on the underside of rocks.
