Image source: maurer416 | inaturalist.org
Endemic to the Barren River system in south-central Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. This species is usually found in small rocky pools on the sides of creeks and rivers. The splendid darter, like many other darter species, inhabits a single small river system and exhibits specialized reproductive behaviors that are only supported by a particular type of environment. This river system is vulnerable to even the slightest changes, whether natural or anthropogenic, putting inhabitants of the system at risk.[The two most influential landscape features affecting the current distribution of E. barrenense are land use/land cover patterns and soil composition. As such, these two phenomena must be closely monitored in the following years to ensure the safety of the splendid darter and all other species found in the Barren River system. The current existence and continuing development of dams in Tennessee is one of the most pressing issues affecting freshwater environments and preventing many species of fish from migrating properly.
