Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings Number 51 (December 2009) 12-1-2009 The esD perate Dozen: Southeastern Freshwater Fishes on the Brink Bernard R. Kuhajda Anna L. George James D. Williams Follow this and additional works at: http://trace.tennessee.edu/sfcproceedings Part of the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Kuhajda, Bernard R.; George, Anna L.; and Williams, James D. (2009) "The eD sperate Dozen: Southeastern Freshwater Fishes on the Brink," Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings: No. 51. Available at: http://trace.tennessee.edu/sfcproceedings/vol1/iss51/4 This Original Research Article is brought to you for free and open access by Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings by an authorized administrator of Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The esD perate Dozen: Southeastern Freshwater Fishes on the Brink This original research article is available in Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings: http://trace.tennessee.edu/sfcproceedings/ vol1/iss51/4 December 2009 Kuhajda et al. – The Desperate Dozen The Desperate Dozen: Southeastern Freshwater Fishes on the Brink BERNARD R. KUHAJDA 1, ANNA L. GEORGE 2, AND JAMES D. WILLIAMS 3 1Department of Biological Sciences, Box 870345, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0345, Email [email protected]. 2Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, PO Box 11048, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401-2048, Email [email protected]. 3Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Museum Road and Newell Drive, Gainesville, Florida 32611, Email [email protected]. THE DESPERATE DOZEN: AN INTRODUCTION We created the initial list of the most imperiled south - eastern fishes by using species listed as Endangered or Aquatic animals have experienced dramatic declines in Threatened by Warren et al. (2000), eliminating those recent decades (Abell et al., 2000). There are currently 582 species outside of the range of the Southeast as defined by species of animals on the Federal list of Endangered and the Southeastern Fishes Council (SFC) constitution. Threatened species, of which 268 (46%) are found in fresh - Species described since 2000 were added to the list, but water habitats. Of the diverse assemblage of 675 fishes undescribed species were not included in the ranking. found in southeastern waters, more than a quarter are con - Lists of imperilment created by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife sidered imperiled (Warren et al., 2000). While all of the Service (USFWS) or state wildlife agencies were not con - Earth’s ecosystems are threatened to some extent, fresh - sulted in SFC’s identification of the Desperate Dozen fish - water habitats are recognized to be at severe risk because es at any stage of the process. The Southeastern Fishes of their scarcity and the high demands placed on them by Council Executive Committee (SFC ExCom) was asked to humans (Vitousek, 1997; Wood et al., 2000; Postel, 2002). review and rank the initial list of 40 species. Criteria used The combined effects of agriculture, damming, dredging, for ranking, in order of importance, were distribution, construction, logging, overharvest, and pollution are number of populations, low abundance, and severity of destroying this critical resource for animals, plants, and threats. Species were not chosen to represent a broad geo - even humanity itself (Master, 1990; Richter et al., 1997). graphic or taxonomic spectrum, nor based on the ease or This major conservation crisis calls for immediate action potential success of their recovery. to conserve and protect the remaining populations and Through this ranking system, the SFC ExCom devel - their habitats. oped a list of 14 potential Desperate Dozen species, with a When resources are limited, one of the most important brief synopsis on the status of each. This list was sent to steps in conservation is prioritization (Master, 1991; four reviewers. Two responded with their ranking of the Possingham et al., 2002). We sought to determine where potential species and included three other species to con - immediate conservation actions were needed to prevent sider. The SFC ExCom then ranked these 17 species, all loss of native southeastern freshwater fish diversity. We listed as Endangered in the latest list of the conservation decided to focus our efforts on the Desperate Dozen fish - status of imperiled freshwater fishes of North America es, the 12 species that local and regional experts would (Jelks et al., 2008). The 12 most highly ranked species identify as the most likely to become extinct in the from the SFC ExCom and external reviewers were select - Southeast. Our goal is to use this list to raise awareness of ed as the Desperate Dozen. After the ranking based on the plight of freshwater habitats in the Southeast, including level of imperilment, species were arranged in phylogenet - rivers, creeks, wetlands, springs, and caves (Abell et al., ic order so that all would receive equal attention. We con - 2000). By highlighting these 12 species, ranging from the tacted experts on each species to provide the following spring pygmy sunfish ( Elassoma alabamae ) to the brief accounts on the Desperate Dozen, which include Alabama sturgeon ( Scaphirhynchus suttkusi ), we hope to background, distribution, abundance, threats, and pro - encourage partnerships to address the needs of our fresh - posed conservation actions. water animals and hopefully prevent them from slipping into extinction. 10 SFC PROCEEDINGS No. 51 THE DESPERATE DOZEN : important in times of economic shortfalls (Selin and Chevez, 1995; Heathcote, 1998). Other commonly recom - ALABAMA STURGEON , Scaphirhynchus suttkusi mended conservation actions for the Desperate Dozen SLENDER CHUB , Erimystax cahni include monitoring abundance, assessing water quality CHUCKY MADTOM , Noturus crypticus and quantity, surveying for additional populations, devel - ALABAMA CAVEFISH , Speoplatyrhinus poulsoni oping propagation programs, and examining the genetic PYGMY SCULPIN , Cottus paulus diversity within and between populations (Table 3). DIAMOND DARTER , Crystallaria cincotta Only 8 of the Desperate Dozen are listed by the VERMILION DARTER , Etheostoma chermocki USFWS: 5 are Endangered and 3 are considered RELICT DARTER , Etheostoma chienense Threatened. Two are Candidate species for listing and 2 BAYOU DARTER , Etheostoma rubrum have no federal status (Table 4). Of the 8 listed species, PEARL DARTER , Percina aurora only 4 have critical habitat determined and 6 have CONASAUGA LOGPERCH , Percina jenkinsi approved recovery plans. We encourage the use of all SPRING PYGMY SUNFISH , Elassoma alabamae available recovery options under the Endangered Species Act to begin the process of habitat restoration and recov - The Desperate Dozen is represented by taxa that ery for these species. belong to seven families of fishes: a sturgeon At every stage of this process, it was clear that many (Acipenseridae), a minnow (Cyprinidae), a catfish other fishes also deserved to be on a list of species in a des - (Ictaluridae), a cavefish (Amblyopsidae), a sculpin perate need for conservation action. While our call to (Cottidae), six darters (Percidae), and a pygmy sunfish action is targeted at only 12 species, the principles behind (Elassomatidae). Five species are restricted to Alabama, their recovery must be applied throughout Southeastern two in Mississippi, and one each in Kentucky, Tennessee, drainages. Without immediate, coordinated action, the and West Virginia. Two species are found in two states: the Southeast stands to lose far more than just the Desperate slender chub ( E. cahni ) in Tennessee and Virginia and the Dozen. Conasauga logperch ( P. jenkinsi ) in Tennessee and Georgia (Fig.1). Seven species have always been restrict - ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ed to a small area, some to a single spring or cave, while four were historically wider ranging. Half of the Desperate We would like to thank the World Wildlife Fund and Dozen occupy smaller bodies of water (e.g., springs, cave the particular help of Judy Takats for their support of this pools, creeks), while the other half live in medium and project. All fish illustrations were drawn by Joe Tomelleri. large rivers (Table 1). The main threat for all of these Special thanks to the Florida Museum of Natural History, species is their relatively restricted ranges, where one Tennessee Aquarium, University of Alabama, and the acute pollution or habitat destruction event could cause Region 4 Field and Regional Offices of the U.S. Fish and extinction (Johnson, 1998; Purvis et al., 2000). Habitat Wildlife Service. alteration also impacts all species, from dams, channeliza - tion, and head-cutting in rivers and creeks to pumping of groundwater and the presence of impervious surfaces in Scaphirhynchus suttkusi – Alabama Sturgeon recharge areas for caves and springs (Richter et al., 1996; Watters, 1999; Wenger et al., 2008). All of these habitat Background: One of the rarest vertebrates globally, the alterations potentially lead to population fragmentation Alabama sturgeon is the smallest of eight North American (Dynesius and Nilsson, 1994; Richter et al., 1997). Water sturgeon species (maximum 30.7 in [78 cm] fork length). pollution, especially sedimentation, is also a pervasive Its description in 1991 (Williams and Clemmer, 1991) was problem for all Desperate Dozen species (Table 2). The followed by years of controversy regarding its