Happy Darter Holidays from TNACI

T’was time for the holidays in the state of Tennessee

And everyone at TNACI was happy as can be.

We’re ready for some fun, some food, and maybe snow

And to feature some fishes we love and we know.

If you tend to celebrate the Christian way

And have your winter holiday on Christmas Day,

Then maybe you’ll find a new friend and ally

In a very special fish, Etheostoma hopkinsi.

Christmas Darter (E. hopkinsi) photo by Dustin Smith

And if Santa visits your house, tell your kids to be good

Cuz they’ll want some sweets, that’s well understood.

So show them an image of some aquatic fun

With E. osburni and E. neopterum.

Candy Darter (E. osburni) Photo by Cory Dunn 

Lollipop Darter (E. neopturum) illustration by Joe Tomelleri

But if you’ve been bad, you know what will be

In your stocking that day or under the tree.

There’ll be no sweets, no presents, nada,

Except maybe E. cinereum or Percina brevicauda.

Ashy Darter (E. cinereum) illustration by Joe Tomelleri.

Coal Darter (Percina brevicauda) illustration by Joe Tomelleri.

We hope that you laughed due to this little ditty.

I really can’t lie, fish humor makes us giddy.

Instead of singing carols to you, with flutes and a drum,

We will just say have a Happy Etheostoma brevirostrum.

Holiday Darter (E. brevirostrum) illustration by Joe Tomelleri.