Instead of “Colors of the Wind,” Pocahontas should have sang “Colors of the Creek.”
Have you ever showed someone a photo of a colored up male freshwater fish and they respond with “Wow, some freshwater fish are as beautiful as tropical reef fish!” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this, but it makes my heart happy every time.
Remember the brightly colored, male Speckled Darter (Etheostoma stigmaeum) from a previous post? If not, click here! Well the darter above is another male Speckled Darter, from the same creek, a couple years later, sampled during a different time of the year. Notice the small remnants of turquoise at the base of the anal fin, the edges of the caudal fin, and the back half of his operculum. All that’s left on his spiny dorsal fin is the thick yellow-gold band, which is surrounded by a bright blue during spawning season. This male wasn’t as brightly colored because we sampled this creek later in the year, after spawning season. Like most freshwater fish, their spawning season is from late March to May. (TIP: This is the best time to explore your local creeks so you can try to spot some colored up males. If you find any, share on social media and don’t forget to tag @peachstatefish #LoveYourLocalFish)
One of my favorite parts about freshwater fish species is their vast range of colorations. It’s incredibly fascinating to see how males change throughout the year. For more than six months, the males look normal and very similar to the female fishes. But for a couple of months, usually late spring – early summer, the streams explode with color. During spawning season there’s only one thing on a male’s mind and that’s attracting females for reproducing. This is why male fish become vibrantly colored so they can impress the neutral-colored females. The only downside to the male’s beautiful colorations is it makes them more susceptible to predation. Typical males, always dying for some sex.
After spawning season is over (so late summer – early fall), the males slowly start to fade back to normal. To me, this time of the year is just as beautiful. Just like the Speckled Darter above, the colorations become more neutralized, but there’s still hints of the beauty leftover from spawning season. As the colors fade, life in the streams slow down, and all the fish patiently await next spring.
So don’t forget: The next time you hear someone ranting about beautiful reef fishes, tell them to look up some male freshwater fish species, especially darters! But you can’t forget to warn them – because they will fall in love and they will become hooked 😉
Peach State Fish 