Arkansas River Speckled Chub BISON No.: 010151

Scientific Name: Macrhybopsis aestivalis tetranemus Common Name: Arkansas River speckled chub BISON No.: 010151 Legal Status: ¾ Arizona, Species of ¾ ESA, Proposed ¾ New Mexico-WCA, Special Concern Threatened Threatened ¾ ESA, Endangered ¾ ESA, Threatened ¾ USFS-Region 3, ¾ ESA, Proposed ¾ New Mexico-WCA, Sensitive Endangered Endangered ¾ None Distribution: ¾ Endemic to Arizona ¾ Southern Limit of Range ¾ Endemic to Arizona and ¾ Western Limit of Range New Mexico ¾ Eastern Limit of Range ¾ Endemic to New Mexico ¾ Very Local ¾ Not Restricted to Arizona or New Mexico ¾ Northern Limit of Range Major River Drainages: ¾ Dry Cimmaron River ¾ Rio Yaqui Basin ¾ Canadian River ¾ Wilcox Playa ¾ Southern High Plains ¾ Rio Magdalena Basin ¾ Pecos River ¾ Rio Sonoita Basin ¾ Estancia Basin ¾ Little Colorado River ¾ Tularosa Basin ¾ Mainstream Colorado River ¾ Salt Basin ¾ Virgin River Basin ¾ Rio Grande ¾ Hualapai Lake ¾ Rio Mimbres ¾ Bill Williams Basin ¾ Zuni River ¾ Gila River Status/Trends/Threats (narrative): Federal: FWS Species of concern, BLM sensitive, State NM: Threatened. The Arkansas River speckled chub is extant only in the South Canadian River between reservoirs in New Mexico and Texas, the South Fork Ninnescah River in Kingman County, Kansas and the Arkansas River in Sumner County, Kansas (Luttrell et al 1999). The endemic Arkansas River speckled chub has been extirpated from about 90% of its historic range, and now persists only in two disjunct areas: the Ninnescah River and an associated portion of the Arkansas River mainstem in Kansas, and the southern Canadian River between Ute Reservoir in New Mexico and Meredith Reservoir in the Texas Panhandle (Luttrell et al 1999). The Arkansas River populations have greatly declined in abundance and distribution (Luttrell et al 1999). The period of extirpation (1940's through the 1970's) approximated the period of reservoir construction in New Mexico (Luttrell et al 1999). The Arkansas River speckled chub possibly hybridizes with Macrhybopsis hyostoma (Eisenhour 1999). Declines of native fishes in the southern plains streams have been linked to reservoirs and groundwater removal for irrigation resulting in loss of habitat by inundation of streams and dewatering as a result of impoundment and diversion of water out of the streambed (Luttrell et al 1999). Reservoirs are barriers to dispersal and contribute to losses of local populations by blocking recolonization (Luttrell et al 1999). Distribution (narrative): The Arkansas River speckled chub is found in the middle and upper portions of the Arkansas River basin in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas (Eisenhour 1999). The historic range includes the Rio San Fernando drainage in Mexico eastward across the Gulf slope to the Choctawhatchee River in Florida, and northward to Nebraska, Minnesota, and Ohio in the Mississippi River basin (Eisenhour 1999). Key Distribution/Abundance/Management Areas: Panel key distribution/abundance/management areas: Breeding (narrative): No specific information, however, may be similar to the speckled chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis aestivalis). Habitat (narrative): No specific information, however, may be similar to the speckled chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis aestivalis). Seasonal Activity (narrative): No specific information, however, may be similar to the speckled chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis aestivalis). Breeding Season: ¾ January ¾ June ¾ October ¾ February ¾ July ¾ November ¾ March ¾ August ¾ December ¾ April ¾ September ¾ May Panel breeding season comments: Aquatic Habitats: Large Scale: Small Scale: ¾ Rivers ¾ Runs ¾ Streams ¾ Riffles ¾ Springs ¾ Pools ¾ Spring runs ¾ Open Water ¾ Lakes ¾ Shorelines ¾ Ponds ¾ Sinkholes ¾ Cienegas ¾ Unknown ¾ Variable Panel comments on aquatic habitats: Important Habitat Features (Water characteristics): Current Gradient Water Depth ¾ Fast (> 75 cm/sec) ¾ High gradient (>1%) ¾ Very Deep (> 1 m) ¾ Intermediate (10-75 ¾ Intermediate Gradient ¾ Deep (0.25-1 m) cm/sec) (0.25-1%) ¾ Intermediate (0.1-0.25 ¾ Slow (< 10 cm/sec) ¾ Low Gradient m) ¾ None (<0.25%) ¾ Shallow (< 0.1 m) ¾ Unknown ¾ None ¾ Unknown ¾ Variable ¾ Unknown ¾ Variable ¾ Variable Panel comments on water characteristics: Important Habitat Features (Water Chemistry) Temperature (general) Turbidity Conductivity ¾ Cold Water (4-15°C) ¾ High ¾ Very High (> 2000 ¾ Cool Water (10-21°C) ¾ Intermediate μS/cm) ¾ Warm Water (15- ¾ Low ¾ High (750-2000 27°C) ¾ Unknown μS/cm) ¾ Unknown ¾ Variable ¾ Intermediate (250-750 ¾ Variable μS/cm) ¾ Low (< 250 μS/cm) ¾ Unknown ¾ Variable Panel comments on water chemistry: Important Habitat Features (Structural elements): Substrate Cover ¾ Bedrock ¾ Rocks, boulders ¾ Silt/Clay ¾ Undercut banks ¾ Detritus ¾ Woody debris ¾ Sand ¾ Aquatic vegetation ¾ Gravel ¾ Rootwads ¾ Cobble ¾ Not important ¾ Boulders ¾ Overhanging ¾ Unknown vegetation ¾ Variable ¾ Unknown ¾ Variable Panel comments on structural elements: Diet (narrative): No specific information, however, may be similar to the speckled chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis aestivalis). Diet category (list): ¾ Planktivore ¾ Herbivore ¾ Insectivore ¾ Piscivore (Fish) ¾ Omnivore ¾ Detritivore Grazing Effects (narrative): No specific information. Panel limiting habitat component relative to grazing and comments: Panel assessment: Is this species a priority for selecting a grazing strategy? Throughout the species’ distribution in New Mexico and Arizona YES NO UNKNOWN In key management area(s) YES NO UNKNOWN Principle Mechanisms Through Which Grazing Impacts This Species (list): **May be Revised** ¾ Alteration of bank ¾ Altered bank ¾ Increased turbidity structures vegetation structure ¾ Other biotic factors ¾ Alteration of substrate ¾ Change in food ¾ Parasites or pathogens ¾ Alteration of water availability ¾ Population genetic regimes ¾ Change in water structure loss ¾ Altered stream channel temperature ¾ Range improvements characteristics ¾ Change in water ¾ Trampling, scratching ¾ Altered aquatic quality ¾ Unknown vegetation composition ¾ Habitat fragmentation Panel causal mechanisms comments: Authors • Draft: Magaña, H.A. • GP 2001: • GP 2002: • Revision: Bibliography: Eisenhour, D.J. 1999. Systematics of Macrhybopsis tetranemus (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae). Copeia 4: 969-980. Luttrell, G.R., Echelle, A.A., Fisher, W.L., and Eisenhour, D.J. 1999. Declining status of two species of the Macyhbopsis aestivalis complex (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) in teh Arkansas River Basin and related effects of reservoirs as barriers to dispersal. Copeia 4: 981-989. .

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