Features: The Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida), a member of the perch family, is a slender and elongated fish with a translucent body. It requires sandy-bottomed streams and rivers where it often buries itself completely.

Status: Endangered Provincially, Threatened Nationally

Range: The range of the Eastern Sand Darter extends from southern Ontario east to Quebec and south through central United States to Kentucky. The species is classified as threatened or endangered in most of its United States range. In Ontario it lives in Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie and several rivers in southwestern Ontario. Range Maps

Threats: The Eastern Sand Darter has declined throughout its entire range including Ontario because of siltation, sand bars removals, dam building and pollution. These factors continue to threaten the species.

Protection: The Eastern Sand Darter is listed under Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007. The species also has the general protection given by the habitat section of the Fisheries Act.

Text Sources: Holm and Mandrak 1994

Last Modified Date: April 2010