R are F ishes of N orth C arolina (Part T wo)

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by F red C. (Fritz) Rohde and R udolf G . A rndt North Carolina Dept. of Environment, Health and Human Resources, Division of Marine Fisheries, 127 Cardinal Drive Extension, Wilmington, NC 28405-3845

More than 200 species of freshwater fishes occur in crosses into North Carolina. The river bottom throughout North Carolina waters. Through the generosity of the the gorge and this region consists of gravel, cobble, and North Carolina Endangered Wildlife Program, we have boulders, with occasional areas of sand and rock out- been given the opportunity to survey for fishes through- crops. The Dan flows near two North Carolina scenic out much of the state. Previously we wrote about two areas—Pilot Knob and Hanging Rock—both of which rare fishes that are endemic to the Carolina Sandhills are disjunct remnants of the easternmost Appalachian (American Currents, Spring 1997). This time we will Mountains. At a point above Winston-Salem, it turns consider five state-listed fishes that are restricted in North sharply to the northeast as it enters a different geologic Carolina to the Dan River sys- region, one with a softer bedrock. PATRICK COUNTY tem, as well as a number of Here the bottom is primarily of N other species that occur there. sand and gravel, with occasion- 7.5 15 HENRY 0 COUNTY The Dan is a scenic river, and Townes Dam kilometers al cobble. After crossing the consequently it is a Mecca for Pinnacles Talbott Dam NC/VA border several times, Power canoers, kayakers, tubers, and Plant the Dan terminates at Kerr fishermen. This article empha- Little Dan River Reservoir, in the state where it sizes those little-known wonders VIRGINIA began, a distance of 184 river NORTH CAROLINA that live in this river, many of SURRY miles from its headwaters. COUNTY which are so beautiful and inter- Dan River We first explored the Dan esting that we believe many in the summer of 1992, spend- Danbury NANFA members would give Madison ing a week sampling in Stokes their eyeteeth to have them in County, North Carolina. STOKES their aquaria. COUNTY Because of the pronounced ROCKINGHAM The Dan River is the major COUNTY river current, we knew that our southern tributary to the upper Fig. 1. Sampling sites in Dan River. tried-and-true collecting with Roanoke River. It originates at an elevation of over 3000 seines wouldn’t be too effective, except for downstream feet on the Blue Ridge Escarpment in south-central sweeps for minnows. So we brought an old, smelly, gas- Virginia, west of Martinsville. After a short distance, the powered backpack electroshocker we had borrowed from river enters a narrow, labyrinthine gorge about 29 river a friend. It worked great. The junior author operated the miles in length that it has cut through this escarpment. shocker while the senior author held a 10-foot seine Downstream of this gorge (called Kibler Gorge locally) downstream. We made six additional trips with various the river meanders to the southeast through the Inner groups of students, the presence of whom made our work Piedmont for about 50 river miles, and along the way it much easier.

1 American Currents Vol. 24, No. 3 Fig. 2. Mountain redbelly dace (Phoxinus oreas). Photo by Fred C. (Fritz) Rohde.

Our initial plan was to survey the upper part of the yellowish fins. Even when not feeling romantic, the redlip Dan in North Carolina for the five state-listed fishes that is an attractive fish. Although not widespread or abundant, occur there: cutlips minnow (Exoglossum maxillingua), the mountain redbelly dace (Phoxinus oreas, Fig. 2), with rustyside sucker (Thoburnia hamiltoni), bigeye jumprock its red, black, silver, and brown body, and yellow fins, is (Scartomyzon ariommus), orangefin madtom (Noturus colorful. The connoisseur hobbyist might appreciate the gilberti), and riverweed darter (Etheostoma podostemone). cutlips minnow with its olive green body and bizarre The first of these three are listed as “endangered,” the lower jaw with three fleshy lobes. Although this fish is other two as “species of special concern.” widespread in the northeastern United But we were so intrigued with the distri- PATRICK COUNTY States and adjacent Canada, it reaches bution of these and other fishes, that we N its southernmost limit in the Dan River ended up making a survey of the river 0 7.5 15 in North Carolina, and thus is endan- kilometers from its headwaters in Virginia to just Townes Dam gered in that state. Prior to our work, it Pinnacles Talbott Dam downstream of the abrupt bend it makes Power was known only from only one site a to the northeast. Thus, we eventually Plant mile downstream of the Virginia bor- Little Dan River made a total of 30 collections at 23 sites der. We subsequently found it at five (Fig. 1). As part of our study of the lon- VIRGINIA sites over a distance of 13 miles down- NORTH CAROLINA gitudinal succession of fishes in the Dan, stream from the VA/NC border (Fig. SURRY we also used data from 94 collections COUNTY Dan River 3). In addition, we collected it at six made by other researchers at 19 additional sites upstream from the VA/NC bor- sites, many of them further downstream. Danbury der, as far as 14 miles into the Kibler Overall, 65 species of fishes are now Gorge. It prefers fast-flowing runs or known from the Dan River, many of STOKES pools, near larger rocks or boulders. which are suitable for aquaria. Most com- COUNTY Several that we maintained mon were 20 species of minnows and 11 in an aquarium readily ate worms. Fig. 3. Cutlips minnow distribution. suckers. The most commonly seen min- The Dan River supports a rich nows were the rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides); community of suckers. Most abundant but less interesting ( leptocephalus); satinfin shiner than others are two species of redhorses, the golden (Cyprinella analostana); rosefin shiner (Lythrurus ardens); (Moxostoma erythrurum) and the V-lip (M. pappillosum). (Luxilus cerasinus); and redlip shiner Both reach a length of 16 inches, are relatively colorless, ( chiliticus). Our favorites in this family are the and would not generally be thought of as desirable for crescent shiner, with its pearly-pink coloration, and the aquaria. The really neat guys are the jumprocks. However, redlip shiner, in which males can develop a red body and all attain greater than “minnow” sizes and require large

Summer 1998 American Currents 2 waters, and thus would not be suitable even for the above- doesn’t often go on collecting trips, did go on several average aquaria. The black jumprock (Scartomyzon trips to the Dan. The first time was after Thanksgiving cervinus) has a fairly restricted distribution in Virginia one year, and at our first site in Virginia, with light rain and North Carolina, but it is common and widespread in and sleet falling, she slipped and fell into the river. the Dan River in riffles and runs. With its black and gold Unfortunately, for her, we didn’t stop until we had our body stripes, orange pectoral and pelvic fins, and black sample, about an hour later (she claims it was much tips on the dorsal and caudal fins, it is a very attractive longer). The next day, after an all-night rain, was even sucker. It is also relatively worse; she was nearly swept PATRICK COUNTY HENRY small (to 7 inches). The big- COUNTY away several times, and we Townes N Dam eye jumprock is restricted 0 7.5 15 had to quit. On her second— Talbott Dam kilometers to the upper Roanoke River Pinnacles and, we hope, not last—trip Power Little Dan River PITTSYLVANIA drainage. We found it at Plant COUNTY with us, she was getting VIRGINIA eight sites over a 26-mile NORTH CAROLINA Eden fishes out of the seine and Mayo River CASWELL COUNTY Dan River stretch of river in North Dan River transferring them to a jar. In Steam Station Carolina (Fig. 4). We took SURRY Danbury spite of using extreme cau- COUNTY Madison adults in deep runs and STOKES Dan River tion, one of those little dev- COUNTY ROCKINGHAM heads of pools, usually near COUNTY ils got her under a fingernail large boulders and rock out- Fig. 4. Bigeye jumprock distribution. with one of its venom- crops, and juveniles in shal- loaded spines. Sharon was low gravel riffles and a sandy-bottomed pool. The rusty- unhappy! Regardless, there is a spotted form of the mar- side sucker is possibly the rarest fish in North Carolina. It gined madtom which occurs in the Kibler Gorge portion is endemic only to the Dan River system in Virginia and of the Dan River, and this population merges with the North Carolina. In North Carolina, it is known only from plain-colored population downstream, although all indi- one site in the most downstream part of the Little Dan viduals of this madtom in this river are attractive, with a River, a tributary to the Dan. We cap- distinct black edge on the fins. The tured one adult here, as well as three PATRICK orangefin madtom, like the bigeye COUNTY N more adults in the Dan upstream in jumprock, is restricted to the upper 0 7.5 15 Kibler Gorge in Virginia (Figs. 5 and 6). Townes Dam kilometers Roanoke River drainage. Prior to our It is attractive with its red-orange lateral survey it was found over a 28-mile Talbott Dam Pinnacles band, but its scarcity and protected sta- Power section of the Dan in the two states Plant tus further preclude it from becoming an Little Dan River (Fig. 7). We did not find it at four of aquarium fish. The Roanoke hogsucker the lowermost sites where it had VIRGINIA (Hypentelium roanokense) is encoun- NORTH CAROLINA been previously collected, and we tered commonly; it is smaller and more SURRY suspect that it is having some trou- COUNTY attractive than its cousin, the northern Dan River ble in this river system. Because of hogsucker (H. nigricans), which also its scarcity, it is now protected in occurs here. Danbury both states. Sunfishes of 10 species are common, Although not showing great STOKES particularly in the lower part of the Dan, COUNTY species diversity, the six species of but since none are unique to the region, darters in the Dan are abundant. The we will pass on commenting on them Fig. 5. Rustyside sucker distribution. attractive and widespread Roanoke here. Also well-represented are the cat- darter (Percina roanoka) was the fourth fishes, especially the madtoms. The Dan River contains most abundant fish taken in our samples. The reproduc- more margined madtom (Noturus insignis) per square tive male develops a bright blue side, orange belly, and foot than any other river we’ve sampled, often up to 100 an orange first dorsal fin. Almost equally attractive is the individuals per sample. Such large numbers tend to lead riverweed darter, with its rows of dark spots on the side to unpleasant experiences. My wife, Sharon Rohde, who and an orange cast on the breeding male. This species is

3 American Currents Vol. 24, No. 3 Fig. 6. Rustyside sucker (Thoburnia hamiltoni). Photo by Fred C. (Fritz) Rohde. also restricted to the upper Roanoke River drainage, head chub, redlip shiner, crescent shiner, and johnny where it is common. We found it to occupy a 78-mile darter. Another group in and near this area includes the stretch of the Dan, especially in areas of shallow riffles margined madtom, Roanoke darter, and riverweed darter. and with a gravel/cobble substrate (Fig. 8). It is related to Finally, in the downstream and slower portion of the river is a group that includes the satinfin shiner, white shiner

PATRICK N COUNTY

0 7.5 15 PATRICK kilometers COUNTY N Townes Dam HENRY Townes Dam 0 7.5 15 COUNTY Pinnacles Talbott Dam kilometers Power Plant Pinnacles Talbott Dam Power Plant Little Dan River Little Dan River VIRGINIA NORTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA NORTH CAROLINA SURRY COUNTY Dan River SURRY COUNTY Dan River Mayo River

Danbury Danbury Madison

STOKES STOKES COUNTY ROCKINGHAM COUNTY COUNTY

Fig. 8. Riverweed darter distribution. Fig. 7. Orangefin madtom distribution. Open circles are extirpated sites. (Luxilus albeolus), rosefin shiner, bull chub (Nocomis the johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum), and it does well raneyi), and redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus). in the aquarium. The Dan River is a beautiful stream with many attrac- We noticed definite species associations and changes tive and common fishes. We recommend it to all NANFA in species compositions as we moved from upstream to members who want to see and to maintain some of these downstream in the Dan River. In its headwaters occur little gems. Please be sure that you obtain any required one group of small species such as rosyside dace, moun- collecting permits or fishing licenses before you try to tain redbelly dace, creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), collect. North Carolina requires a fishing license to use a blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus), and mottled seine with which to collect “bait fishes.” Remember also sculpin (Cottus bairdi). An intermediate group is found in to first obtain landowner permission, and to not exces- abundant numbers below the gorge; it includes the blue- sively disturb this beautiful river.

Summer 1998 American Currents 4