The Cumberland snubnose darter (Etheostoma atripinne) is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. This species is found in the middle Cumberland River drainage in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. It is absent in reaches above the Big South Fork, rare in North Carolina, and absent in western tributaries of the Tennessee River. While research on the ecology of E. atripinne is not extensive, what is known is they are usually found in small to medium freshwater streams in gravel riffle areas where their eggs can attach to the substrate and be left unguarded. E. atripinne can be found within a wide range of depths in its environment, leading its being classified as benthopelagic. While its global status is secure, the American Fisheries Society labels it with a status of “Special Concern”. Distribution As is the case with many other species of darters, the geographic distribution of E. atripinne is quite narrow and localized. The species is most often found in the middle Cumberland River drainage. While E. atripinne has been found in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, these are generally interpreted as the furthest reaches of the distribution given observations of low densities. It is not found above the Big South Fork River nor in the western tributaries of the Tennessee River, although E. s. atripinne was historically found in the Little South Fork of the Cumberland River. Ecology The Cumberland snubnose darter is found in flowing, rocky pools and adjacent riffles of small creeks with good water clarity and gravel bottoms or bottoms of bedrock strewn with rubble, and in small to medium rivers where confined to shallow gravel-bedded portions of riffles. This type of bottom is of utmost importance because their eggs attach to this substrate. Eggs do not attach well in areas that have been silted, and as a consequence, the species generally avoids these areas. They have been observed spawning in streams with water temperature ranging from 11 to 18 °C and prefer a relatively neutral to slightly alkaline pH. The natural predators of Cumberland snubnose darters are large piscivorous freshwater fish including, specifically, Micropterus dolomieu. Immature and adult food habits are consistent with invertivory. Examination of the stomach contents of 45 individuals segregated into four size classes showed midge larvae of the