Tiny but mighty important: What a small fish can tell you about the health of our rivers

Tiny but mighty important: What a small fish can tell you about the health of our rivers

By Eric Benninghoff

Source: newschannel9

1/7/2022

Tiny but mighty important. That’s how aquatic biologist Dr. Bernie Kuhajda describes the bridled darter.

It’s a small fish only found in Georgia and Tennessee. But its health has meaning for our entire aquatic system, and even the water we drink.

On this Scenic City Adventure, we joined a team of freshwater biologists as they combed the waters of Holly Creek for this fast and stealthy creature.

As we learned on our expedition, catching a bridled darter is not like catching your average fish. Given their small size, speed, and tendency to live in rocky environments, Dr. Bernie Kuhajda says having snorkelers ‘herd’ the fish toward a net is the safest and most effective way to catch them.

That’s exactly what we witnessed this team of freshwater biologists from the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute do. Team leader, Dr. Kuhajda, says they started studying bridled darters over the summer after receiving a grant.