Ecological Risk Screening Summary - Banded Darter (Etheostoma zonale) - High Risk

Etheostoma zonale, Banded Darter, is a fish that is native to Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin, including the Ohio and Tennessee river basins. E. zonale inhabits rocky riffles of creeks and small to medium rivers where it forages for midge larvae, blackfly larvae, and mayfly nymphs. E. zonale spawns during late spring to mid-summer depending on geographic location.
Eggs are laid or attached to rocky substrate covered in algae or moss where they remain unguarded. These darters may be used as bait, which likely led to established populations in New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Evidence shows established populations in Pennsylvania and New York have negatively impacted a native species of darter, E. olmstedi, through niche competition and hybridization. E. zonale is regulated in three States. The History of Invasiveness for Etheostoma zonale is classified as High due to evidence of established populations competing and hybridizing with a native darter species. The climate matching analysis for the contiguous United States indicates establishment concern for this species outside its native range. The highest climate matches occurred in the midwestern and eastern states surrounding the Mississippi River basin and Lower Great Lakes. The lowest matches occurred along the Pacific coast and in the Rocky Mountain region. The Certainty of Assessment for this ERSS is classified as Medium due to some difficultly in interpreting the range information due to taxonomic changes of some populations. The Overall Risk Assessment Category for Etheostoma zonale in the contiguous United States is High.