American Fisheries Society Colorado State University

The Orangethroated Darter (Etheostoma spectabile) is a small, brilliantly colored native fish found throughout the central United States. Adults typically reach 1.25 to 2.5 inches, with males turning especially vibrant during the breeding season, they have colors ranging from blue-green bars, brick-red blotches, and of course the bright orange throat that gives the species its name.

These darters thrive in cool, shallow streams with gravel or rocky bottoms, especially in riffles where the current is steady but not overpowering. Because they rely on clean, well‑oxygenated water, their presence is often a good sign of healthy stream ecosystems.

Orangethroated Darters spawn in spring, usually March through May, laying eggs in shallow gravel riffles. After hatching, juveniles drift into calmer pools before returning to faster water as they grow.

They spend most of their time near the bottom, feeding on aquatic insects like midge larvae, mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, and small crustaceans. Despite their size, they play an important role in stream food webs and help maintain ecological balance.

Fun Fact: The Orangethroated Darters can see colors far beyond what humans can, including ultraviolet patterns.

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Join us this Thursday April 9th, 2026 for an AFS meeting! We have the honor of having Kelly McElwaine from the US Forest Service. She will be talking about her work and experience with the Poudre Headwaters Project. We hope to see you all there!

As always we will have free Cosimo’s pizza and drinks!

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for updates and information about our upcoming events. You can always reach out via DM’s, email, or chat with us in person at the meetings if you have any questions. We really enjoy getting to know each and everyone of you guys!

THINKING ABOUT BECOMING AN AFS OFFICER?
We have lots of open positions available: Secretary, Treasurer, Undergraduate Student Liaison and three Aquarium Curators. So if you’re interested please email us with your first and last name and the position you are interested. You can nominate yourself for multiple positions and/or you can nominate someone else!

Wishing y’all a Happy April Fools Day 🎣

Join us for the last meeting before a much needed spring break! This Thursday at 5:30 we have the pleasure of hosting Kelly McElwaine who works for the US Forest Service and she is will be talking about the Poudre Headwaters Project. We hope to see you all there!

As always we will have free Cosimo’s pizza and drinks!

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for updates and information about our upcoming events. You can always reach out via DM’s, email, or chat with us in person at the meetings if you have any questions. We really enjoy getting to know each and everyone of you guys!

We headed up to Laramie last week for the Colorado/Wyoming AFS Conference, and it was a huge success. Around 30 of our members attended, which is just over half of our due paying chapter, which is super awesome. Thank you to everyone who attended we were grateful to have you all there!

Several of our undergraduate members presented their research, and they all did an incredible job. Thank you to everyone who supported us, organized sessions, and helped make this event happen. Looking forward to next year’s meeting in Fort Collins!

Most importantly, a HUGE thank you to our President and Vice President, Moira and Alex, for all the behind the scenes work that made this trip possible. We appreciate everything you do, and we’re grateful for all our officers who made those days special. It wouldn’t have been the same without all of you!

ICE FISHING TRIP‼️
On Sunday we went to Barnes Meadow Reservoir and caught so many amazing rainbows. The fish were super active that day and we reckon we got around 100! This was an amazing day organized by Ryan and was also a part of the Hardwater Havoc contest. Huge thanks to everyone who participated and made the day super awesome!

We’re all wrapped up with fish and wildlife merit badge counseling for local scouts! Shout out to Moira and scoutleader John Mol for organizing this series of meetings!