U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Kenk’s amphipod kenki

Amphipod Who? An Once In Peril An amphipod is a small shrimp-like Kenk’s amphipod was first discovered freshwater . The order name by Dr. Roman Kenk in 1967. While means “different feet” in surveying the National Park Service’s Latin, referring to the many types of Rock Creek Park, he found the legs a single crustacean could have, species on leaves and fine soils where including some for eating and some for underground water comes to the swimming. The amphipod’s sensitivity surface in the waters of seepage spring to water quality makes its presence an outflows. Since that time, the species’ indication of cleaner water and healthy story is mixed: the amphipod was food webs. difficult to find from many natural areas where it was once found in the The size of an adult Kenk’s amphipod nation’s capital, yet it has also been is about the width of a pinky fingernail discovered in multiple sites in two (1/8 to 1/4 inch). Since it lives primarily separate new areas over 60 miles away. underground, it is colorless and has no eyes. While much of the life history Before 2016, the species was only found of the species remains a mystery, in six sites in Washington, D.C., and biologists believe it may eat bacteria Montgomery County, Maryland. Five of and fungi found on dead and decaying these sites are within the Rock Creek leaves. Its underground habitat makes drainage, with four of those in Rock it very difficult to study until it is Creek Park managed by the National present in the spring outflows on Park Service. The sixth is within the the surface. Northwest Branch drainage in the Northwest Branch Stream Valley Park USFWS Biologists search for Kenk’s managed by Montgomery County. amphipods by overturning leaves and carefully digging in the fine soil of Data from multiple surveys spring seepages. between 2015 and 2017 did not find Kenk’s amphipods at five of the six Washington, D.C. and Maryland sites, the habitat characteristics that the even though other common amphipod Kenk’s amphipod needs to feed and species have been present at most shelter. The Voorhees preserve, sites. While the species’ future is surrounded by forest and agriculture, unclear in the D.C. area, more recent is also protected from development and surveys of publicly owned land in has no known land practices that would Virginia uncovered seven new Kenk’s impact the species. sites - six at the Army’s Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County, Virginia, and one While the Kenk’s amphipod may never at The Nature Conservancy’s Voorhees be a common species, its discovery in Nature Preserve. seven springs over 60 miles away from

USFWS the D.C. sites indicates that it is more Colorless, without eyes, and about the The Army has established buffers widely distributed than once thought. size of the tip of your pinky fingernail. around the springs in which no land Thanks to the compatible management While these amphipods aren’t cute or disturbing activities can occur without of these areas, the Service expects the cuddly, they are helpful warnings for coordination with the Service. These Kenk’s amphipod to continue to have water quality issues and are food for buffers will prevent water quality the water quality needed to survive in other like salamanders. impairment in the future and maintain Virginia. How You Can Help Keep Water Safe For more information, contact: Following a review of the n Dispose of trash properly. Chesapeake Bay Field Office best available scientific and n Do not dump trash, oil, or other U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service commercial information on the products into storm water drains. 177 Admiral Cochrane Drive Kenk’s amphipod, including Annapolis, MD 21401 information provided during the n Consider alternative methods for 410/573 4537 60-day public comment and peer maintaining your lawn without the 410/266 9127 Fax review period, the U.S. Fish and use of herbicides and pesticides. Wildlife Service is withdrawing n Report illegal dumping and Federal Relay Service its 2016 proposal to list the discharges to community leaders. for the deaf and hard-of-hearing species as federally endangered n Plant native gardens or rain gardens 1 800/877 8339 under the Endangered Species to help reduce stormwater runoff. Act. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD The amphipod is state-listed as http://www.fws.gov endangered in Maryland, and was only recently identified in September 2017 Virginia.

Current distribution of the 13 known sites of the Kenk’s amphipod. The amphipod has not been recently found at five of the six Washington, D.C., and Maryland sites. Due to scale, some sites are obscured by the symbols of others.