| Researchers have discovered a new species of small translucent fish in the lower Elk River near Charleston.
Stuart Welsh, assistant professor in the Wildlife and
Fisheries Resources Program at West Virginia University, named
the new species Crystallaria cincotta, or diamond darter.
The diamond darter is a close relative of the crystal
darter found in the Mississippi River's drainage basin.
Adult diamond darters range from 3 to 5 inches long.
They have
fewer cheek scales than crystal darters. Other differences include
sickle-shaped pelvic fins, a dark spot in front of the eye and a
wide mouth gape.
Welsh says researchers believe the diamond darters found in the
Elk River are the species' only known population.
Welsh named the fish in honor of Dan Cincotta, a fishery
biologist with the state Division of Natural Resources and adjunct
professor of ichthyology at WVU.
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