Range and Identity
Etheostoma barrenense is recorded from south-central Kentucky and north-central Tennessee within the Barren system. The compiled account excludes the Gasper River. That exception should remain visible rather than turning the basin name into a claim of occupancy in every tributary.
Habitat and Behavior
Adults inhabit rocky pools and neighboring riffles in creeks and small rivers. The two positions offer different local current conditions while belonging to the same stream reach. Recording the actual channel setting gives more information than naming the river alone.
Food and Life History
The maximum reference is 6.4 centimeters total length. An independent maximum weight, detailed prey list and complete reproductive sequence are not established in the checked summary. Those facts are not supplied from another brightly colored darter.
Field Note
Keep the tributary and larger drainage with photographs or survey records. A fish collected in the Gasper system needs its own identification evidence rather than an automatic assignment based on proximity to the Barren River.
All Lakes With Splendid Darter
Browse lakes and reservoirs with documented Splendid Darter records, listed alphabetically. Records do not establish current abundance or public access. Check the evidence and managing authority for the water you choose.
No published lakes are currently linked to this species in our confirmed records.