Hiding in Plain Sight
Females sport brown blotches to help them disappear against a gravelly stream bottom. When it isn’t mating season, males look drab, too.
Bottom Dweller
Rainbow darters live in the rocky riffles of swift-flowing streams. They hug the bottom to avoid being swept away.
Swim or Sink
Unlike most fish, darters lack a swim bladder, an organ that helps fish float up or down. When a darter stops swimming, it sinks.
Flashy Fellas
During mating season, male rainbow darters sport dazzling colors to impress a girlfriend.
Dart Around
Darters swim from place to place in a series of short, quick dashes. That’s why they’re named “darters.”
Water Wings
Water flowing over their large, winglike pectoral fins helps press darters down against the bottom of a stream.
Also In This Issue
Animals have adaptations to help them catch food, avoid being eaten, and survive nature’s unforgiving environments.
Forget what the calendar says. When you see the flicker of a firefly’s fanny, you know summer has arrived.
And More...
This Issue's Staff
Photographer – Noppadol Paothong
Photographer – David Stonner
Designer – Marci Porter
Art Director – Cliff White
Editor – Matt Seek
Subscriptions – Marcia Hale
Magazine Manager – Stephanie Thurber