Coauthors: Tim Birdsong, Megan Bean, Kevin Mayes, Stephen Curtis, and Sarah Robertson Conservation Status of Texas Freshwater Fishes Updates to the State List of Threatened and Endangered Species 1 North American Freshwater Fish Diversity and Loss • 1,213 species • 57 extinct • 7.5 extinctions per decade from 1950-2010 • 53-86 additional freshwater fishes expected to go extinct by 2050 • Extinction rate is 877 times greater than background extinction rate (1 every 3 million years) Burkhead, N. M. 2012. Extinction rates in North American freshwater 2 fishes, 1900–2010. BioScience 62:798–808. Texas Freshwater Fish Diversity and Loss • 191 species • 5 extinct ➢ Maravillas Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis blairi) ➢ San Marcos Gambusia (Gambusia georgei) ➢ Phantom Shiner (Notropis orca) ➢ Rio Grande Bluntnose Shiner (Notropis simus simus) ➢ Amistad Gambusia (Gambusia amistadensis) • 6 extirpated 3 TPWD Authorities and Mandates for Conservation of Texas Freshwater Fishes • “all fish in the rivers, creeks, and streams and in lakes or sloughs subject to overflow from rivers within the borders of this state” • Mandates for conservation of nongame fishes • “conduct scientific investigation and survey…for protection and conservation” • “ensure the continued ability…to perpetuate themselves” • “propagate, protect, and restore” • “develop habitats” • “acquire habitats” 4 TPWD Regulatory Authorities for Conservation of Texas Freshwater Fishes • Exotic species • Collection of nongame fishes for commercial purposes • Fish stocking (or escapement) into public waters • “no adverse impacts on a state or federally threatened or endangered species or its habitat" • Streambed alteration • “will not damage or injuriously affect any river, creek, or fish” • “will not significantly or injuriously change the hydrology of the river” • “will not significantly accelerate erosion upstream or downstream” • Civil restitution penalties for injury or loss 5 State-Based Species Protections Species of Greatest State Threatened State Endangered Conservation Need (SGCN) Species (ST) Species (SE) • Population declines • High potential to become • Threatened with extinction • Habitat declines state endangered without or statewide extirpation • Ability to fulfill life history is conservation intervention • Prohibits take, possession, threatened • Prohibits take, possession, transport, or sale • Rare (few, small, or transport, or sale • Enables special declining populations or • Enables special consideration in TPWD limited distribution) consideration in TPWD regulatory permitting and • Enables investments in regulatory permitting and interagency consultations voluntary-based interagency consultations • Restitution value = $1000 conservation actions • Restitution value = $500 6 State Listing Status of Texas Freshwater Fishes • 64 of 191 listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) • 91 recommended as SGCN (Cohen et al. 2018) • 30 listed as State Threatened (18) or Endangered (12) • 16 additional species recommended as State Threatened (13) or Endangered (3) 7 Value of Maintaining Frequently Updated Protected Species Lists • Prioritize species in need of conservation action • Enable access to project-based funding for research, monitoring, habitat restoration, habitat preservation, and other actions • Intervene and reverse trends for species in decline • Avoid federal listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) • Contribute to recovery of species listed under ESA 8 NatureServe State-Based Conservation Status Ranks Species Status Rank Definition State Extirpated (SX) Extirpated from the state Possibly Extirpated (SH) Known only from historical records but some hope for rediscovery Critically imperiled (S1) Very high risk of extirpation due to restricted range, few populations or occurrences, steep declines, severe threats, or other factors Imperiled (S2) High risk of extirpation Vulnerable (S3) Moderate risk of extirpation Apparently secure (S4) Considered stable but with some cause for concern from recent localized declines or threats Secure (S5) Extensive range, abundant populations or 9 occurrences, limited concern with declines or threats Conservation Status Thresholds for TPWD Listing Recommendations Status Rank Critically Imperiled (S1) Imperiled (S2) State Need Threatened Greatest Species of of Species Vulnerable (S3) Conservation Apparently Secure (S4) Secure (S5) Possibly Extirpated (SH) 10 Variables Considered in NatureServe Species Status Ranks • Population Trends – Stable (< 10% change), Declining, or Increasing – Long-term Trend – Short-term Trend • Threats – Scope, Severity, Impact, and Timing – Vulnerability – Overall Threat Impact • Rarity – Range Extent and Area of Occupancy – Number of Distinct Populations – Size of Individual Populations – Number of Populations with Good Viability 11 Occurrence Maps Maps of Native Ranges Notropis potteri Chub Shiner Trend Analyses Species Distribution Models Notropis oxyrhynchus Sharpnose Shiner Herichthys cyanoguttatus Río Grande Cichlid 12 Priority Areas for Native Fish Conservation 13 Fish Conservation Actions 14 Fish Conservation Planning Regions 15 State T&E List Revision Cooperators • Matt Acre, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University) • Dean Hendrickson, Ph.D. (University of Texas at • Megan Bean (Chihuahuan Desert Regional Austin) Assessment Team Leader, TPWD Inland • Ken Kurzawski (TPWD Inland Fisheries) Fisheries) • Gordon Linam (TPWD Inland Fisheries) • Timothy Birdsong (State T&E Listing • Stephan Magnelia (TPWD Inland Fisheries) Coordinator for Freshwater Fishes, TPWD Inland Fisheries) • Kevin Mayes (Southern Great Plains Regional Assessment Team Leader, TPWD Inland • Melissa Casarez (University of Texas at Austin) Fisheries) • Adam Cohen (University of Texas at Austin) • Josh Perkins, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University) • Kevin Conway, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University) • Lauren Reynolds (TPWD Inland Fisheries) • Stephen Curtis (East Texas and Coastal Plains • Clint Robertson (TPWD Inland Fisheries) Regional Assessment Team Leader, TPWD Inland Fisheries) • Sarah Robertson (Edwards Plateau Regional Assessment Team Leader, TPWD Inland • Laura Dugan, Ph.D. (TPWD Wildlife) Fisheries) • Robert Edwards, Ph.D. (University of Texas at • Nate Smith, Ph.D. (TPWD Inland Fisheries) Austin) • Ryan Smith (The Nature Conservancy of Texas) • Gary Garrett, Ph.D. (University of Texas at Austin) • Gene Wilde, Ph.D. (Texas Tech University) • Stephanie George (Texas A&M University) • Lance Williams, Ph.D. (University of Texas at Tyler) • Bob Gottfried (TPWD Wildlife) • Kirk Winemiller, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University) • George Guillen, Ph.D. (University of Houston at Clear Lake) *Statewide coordinator and regional assessment team leaders are shown in bold 16 State T&E Revision Webinars and In-Person Workshop • Regional assessment teams – Reviewed state-based conservation status ranks – Shared observations that affirmed or denied the updated NatureServe conservation status ranks – Contributed additional information on status and trends of freshwater fish SGCN – Shared case studies of conservation threats to specific species that could be addressed through listing as State Threatened or Endangered 17 18 19 Edwards Plateau Planning Region • 3 Recommended Additions to the State Threatened List ✓ Plateau Shiner (Cyprinella lepida) ✓ Medina Roundnose Minnow (Dionda nigrotaeniata) ✓ Nueces Roundnose Minnow (Dionda serena) • 1 Recommended Addition to the State Endangered List ✓ Mexican Blindcat (Prietella phreatophila) 20 Edwards Plateau Planning Region (Cont.) • 7 Awaiting AFS Recognition ✓ Nueces River Shiner (Cyprinella sp.) ✓ Manantial Roundnose Minnow (Dionda argentosa) ✓ Guadalupe Roundnose Minnow (Dionda flavipinnis) ✓ Conchos Roundnose Minnow (Dionda sp. 1) ✓ Colorado Roundnose Minnow (Dionda sp. 3) ✓ Nueces Roundnose Minnow (Dionda texensis) ✓ West Texas Shiner (Notropis megalops) 21 Chihuahuan Desert Planning Region • 5 Recommended Additions to the State Threatened List ✓ Tamaulipas Shiner (Notropis braytoni) ✓ Rio Grande Shiner (Notropis jemezanus) ✓ Headwater Catfish (Ictalurus lupus) ✓ Roundnose Minnow (Dionda episcopa) ✓ Speckled Chub (Macrhybopsis aestivalis) • 3 Considered Research Priorities ✓ Mexican Redhorse (Moxostoma austrinum) ✓ Spotfin Gambusia (Gambusia krumholzi) ✓ Conchos Shiner (Cyprinella panarcys) 22 East Texas and Coastal Plains Planning Region • 1 Recommended Addition to the State Threatened List ✓ Guadalupe Darter (Percina apristis) • 1 Considered a Research Priority ✓ Ironcolor Shiner (Notropis chalybaeus) 23 Southern Great Plains Planning Region • 4 Recommended Additions to the State Threatened List ✓ Prairie Chub (Macrhybopsis australis) ✓ Arkansas River Speckled Chub (Macrhybopsis tetranema) ✓ Chub Shiner (Notropis potteri) ✓ Red River Pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis) • 2 Recommended Additions to the State Endangered List ✓ Smalleye Shiner (Notropis buccula) ✓ Sharpnose Shiner (Notropis oxyrhynchus) • 2 Considered Research Priorities ✓ Burrhead Chub (Macrhybopsis marconis) ✓ Red River Shiner (Notropis bairdi) 24 14 SGCN 2 SE 5 ST 21 SGCN 24 SGCN 32 SGCN 4 SE 0 SE 9 SE 8 ST 7 ST 11 ST Fish Conservation Planning Regions 25 Thank You! 26.