snail darter

American  

noun

1. a tan, striped, snail-eating perch, Percina tanasi, 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) long, occurring only in the Tennessee River: a threatened species.

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Etymology

Origin of snail darter

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

An early battle involved the snail darter, a tiny Southeastern fish that delayed construction of a Tennessee dam on a river then considered its only remaining home.

From Washington Times

It was also smack in the middle of the acrimonious snail darter battle that held up construction of a Tennessee Valley Authority dam for over two years.

From Seattle Times

In the original 1978 snail darter case, the Supreme Court found “an irreconcilable conflict” between operation of the dam and compliance with the act.

From Seattle Times

Although the snail darter is the fifth fish species to recover and be removed from the list, some 400 other fish species across the United States remain listed as imperiled.

From Science Magazine

The snail darter, a small fish native to the Southeast whose endangered status caused a legal battle in the 1970s, is no longer imperiled, the Department of the Interior announced Tuesday.

From Washington Times