he streams, disrupting the fish's habitat.Other threats include exotic predatory fish such as spotted bass and rock bass, which were introduced for game fishing in the 1940s. Since then they have spread throughout much of the darter's range, driving it out of some parts. There are, nonetheless, many other colorful darters that use the same habitat as the Niangua darter. This is what makes biologists believe that it is a good indicator species of stream quality. The Niangua darter seems to be very sensitive to water quality where it lives. It cannot live in silted streams, and needs purely gravel or rock bottom material (USGS). Also, because of its small range of habitats, it is a good indicator of how man has affected areas of the streams where it lives. Construction along riverbanks has been a major problem for the darter and is thought to be the driving force toward its extinction. Along with the construction, there are many other reasons that the quality of habitat that the darter lives in is depleting. The unrestricted removal of gravel is an example of this. When gravel is removed from a stream, the effects are grave on the local animal species, especially those that are highly sensitive to the amount of silt in the water. This can be especially dangerous for the darters survival during breeding season when their appearance is a primary factor for reproduction. Aside from gravel removal, poor land management and pollution also play roles in the breakdown of the water quality where the darter is found (Missouri Department of Conservation).Right now, research is being done to see how we can help save this species of fish. There are not any programs that focused on helping it recover, but that will undoubtedly come in the near future. The focus of government agencies is simply to learn more about how we can help the darter and to educate those individuals who can help (USFWS). It is also being monitored by many private o...
