Cherry Darter

The largest males have a standard length of 64 mm (2.5 in) and the largest females 55 mm (2.2 in).

The cherry darter is endemic to the upper Caney Fork system of the Cumberland River drainage, central Tennessee. The species is limited to streams flowing over limestones of the Mississippian Eastern Highland Rim. They do not occur in cool, slightly acidic headwaters or in the lower portion of Caney Fork River system. The range includes White, Putnam, Warren, Van Buren, and Grundy Counties.

Cherry darters feed primarily on aquatic invertebrates and insects, and are known to inhabit a wide range of habitats from springs and small creeks to large rivers. This species has a preference for small- to medium-sized creeks or streams and is usually collected in riffles and runs of moderate to low turbulence, especially over a gravel substrate. In larger streams and rivers, the species is typically found along the margins.

Cherry darter spawning peaks in April and early May, and they reach sexual maturity at the age of two. The cherry darter has not been studied extensively, so little else is known of its life history.