Eastern Sand Darter

Ammocrypta pellucida

The eastern sand darter is a small north American fish that occurs in southwestern Ontario and Quebec. It favours sandy bottoms of streams and rivers with limestone, riffles, and silted sand. The water can be clear, tea-coloured or murky with currents ranging from still to swift. Poor water quality may have caused the darter's decline in urban areas like Montreal, while Siltation, which reduces oxygen at the bottom of waterways, seems to be the main cause of habitat loss in Canada. The eastern sand darter is one of several fish species being addressed under a recovery plan for the Grand River watershed in southwestern Ontario.