The Redline Darters Are Looking Good

The two redline darters we brought back from Estill Fork on Friday seem to be well-adjusted in my 20-gal high tank in the lab. I'd guess that they're from the 2007 year class, since they're not quite full size like some individuals we've found in Hurricane Creek. But they are well-colored. One of them is definitely male, with deep brooding colors and striping around his head and pointed snout that almost looks like a Japanese cartoon character. The other is probably female, although I'm still not fully convinced that it's not a male. I've never kept this species before, but they seem to complement the black darters. The redlines behave more like marine gobies, almost hopping around the sand and propping themselves up on their large pectoral fins while looking around expectantly. The blacks are more prone to short bursts of swimming around the bottom and even chasing food up into the water column. So I'm happy with it, at once a cheap entertainment and natural history education.