Color in the Current

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Darting here and there, up the current, down it, between the rocks, through the water—he tries to dodge my attempts to view his bright colors. A minnow—keeping ever on the bottom—bright stripes, large fins—he is a darter. A rainbow darter—his name betrays his habits and looks. And it was in the Current River in Missouri where we found him.

We just had an afternoon to wade in the river and get some fresh air before dinner. The water rushed over the pebbly bottom, evening sun piercing the riffles and highlighting every rock—and every darter. We saw crawdads, madtoms—and above all, darters. Their colors are easy to spot, their shape easy to see, their erratic, zigzagging patterns make them unmistakable.

“That fish looks tropical!”

That’s what my brother said when he first saw one. At that time we didn’t know what they were. After checking a field guide, we were sure it was a rainbow darter. But what is a rainbow darter?

The rainbow darter, Etheostoma caeruleum, lives mostly between the Appalachians and the Ozarks. Its habitat is riffles in clear, swift streams and small rivers. The rainbow darter is very sensitive to polluted and silt-filled water.

Did you know that anyone who is not a Christian is polluted? People are born polluted by sin (Romans 3:23). The only way to become clean is to become a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17)—to stop wanting sin and instead trust Jesus to save you from God’s anger at you. That is how you “filter” the “silt” from your life and go to heaven when you die!

 Information from: Gilbert, Carter R., and James D. Williams. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Fishes. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983.

Video/photo by Joshua Venturo