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The Cherokee darter (''Etheostoma scotti'') is a rare species of fish in the perch family. It is endemic to Georgia in the United States, where it is limited to the Etowah River system. This fish was not formally described as a new species until 1995,〔Bauer, B. H., et al. (1995). ''Etheostoma'' (''Ulocentra'') ''scotti'' (Osteichthyes: Percidae), a new darter from the Etowah River System in Georgia. ''Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History'' 17:1–16.〕 but it was federally listed as a threatened species of the United States in 1994.〔USFWS. (Determination of Threatened Status for the Cherokee Darter and Endangered Status for the Etowah Darter. ) ''Federal Register'' December 20, 1994.〕 The fish is whitish to yellowish with olive green and black spots on the sides which become larger during the breeding season. Eight dark saddle-like markings are on the back.〔 The male is a maximum of about 5 cm in length.〔Barton, S. D. and S. L. Powers. (2010). (Life-history aspects of the Cherokee Darter, ''Etheostoma scotti'' (Actinopterygii: Percidae), an imperiled species in northern Georgia. ) ''Southeastern Naturalist'' 9(4) 687.〕 Spawning occurs from March through June, with the females depositing the eggs in gravel or sometimes bedrock or wood debris.〔Storey, C. M., et al. (2006). (Analysis of spawning behavior, habitat, and season of the federally threatened ''Etheostoma scotti'', Cherokee Darter (Osteichthyes: Percidae). ) ''Southeastern Naturalist'' 5(3) 413. 〕 The fish becomes sexually mature at one year and it does not appear to live more than two years.〔 The Cherokee darter lives in creeks with rocky bottoms, staying mostly in clear parts of the stream with little silt. The fish can be found in several tributaries of the Etowah River, but few of the populations are large or very healthy. The larger populations can be found in the northern tributaries above Lake Allatoona. This reservoir is in the center of the fish's distribution, dividing it in two and causing fragmentation of the population.〔 ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cherokee darter」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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