Blackbanded darter
(Percina nigrofasciata)

The blackbanded darter (Percina nigrofasciata) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is native to the river systems of the southeastern United States where it is found in the states of Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. It lives over sandy or gravelly bottoms in smaller rivers and streams and its color varies depending on the different habitats in which it lives. It feeds on small insect larvae and is itself preyed on by larger fish. It spawns between February and June depending on locality. It is generally a common fish throughout most of its range.

The body of the fish is variable and is influenced by the surrounding habitat. The blackbanded darter will be a light color if it is found along a sandy substrate. The darters that have a dark color are usually found around leaf litter, sticks, and aquatic vegetation. Breeding males have a greenish blue wash over their body and the head is brownish gold color. The blackbanded darter can be confused with the dusky darter (Percina sciera).

The blackbanded darter inhabits many river systems in the United States. They are found in the Gulf of Mexico drainage in the southeastern United States (Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana). They can be found in the Choctawhatchee in Florida west to the western Mississippi River tributaries in Louisiana.