The smoky madtom (''Noturus baileyi'') is a species of catfish. Little information exists about the smoky madtom, along with other members of the ''Noturus'' species, due to the high turbidity in which they spawn, preventing observation, as well as their nocturnal behaviors.
Description
The madtom is a small member of the family Ictaluridae, only reaching a maximum of 5 cm (2 in) long. It is olive brown on top with white to yellow below. Four saddles line the back of this species.
[Global Species. 2009-2011. Noturus baileyi. Myers Enterprises. http://www.globalspecies.org]
Distribution
The smoky madtom is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to
Abrams Creek in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southeastern United States, southeast, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee. The park straddles the ridgeline o ...
, Tennessee.
[Dinkins, Gerald R. 1996. Life Histories of ''Noturus baileyi'' and ''N. Flavipinnis'', Two Rare Madtom Catfishes in Citico Creek, Monroe County Tennessee. Bulletin Alabama Museum of Natural History 18:43-69.] In 1957, Chilhowee Dam was closed and an ichthyocide was administered to Abrams Creek, in an attempt to improve trout fishery.
Extirpation
Local extinction, also extirpation, is the termination of a species (or other taxon) in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with extinction, global extinctions.
Local extinctions ...
of the smoky madtom resulted.
[Shute, J.R. 2005. Reintroduction of Four Imperiled Fishes in Abrams Creek, Tennessee.Southeastern Naturalist 4(1):93-110.][Enature.2007. Smoky Madtom. Shearwater Marketing Group, Washington DC. http://www.enature.com] The smoky madtom was presumed extinct until in 1980, when another population was found in Citico Creek in the
Cherokee National Forest
The Cherokee National Forest is a United States National Forest located in the U.S. states of Tennessee and North Carolina that was created on June 14, 1920. The forest is maintained and managed by the United States Forest Service. It encompas ...
within
Monroe County, Tennessee
Monroe County is a County (United States), county located on the eastern border of the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 46,250. Its county seat is Madisonville, Tennessee, Madisonville, ...
.
[Bauer, Bruce H. 1983. Discovery of Noturus Baileyi and N. flavipinnis in Citico Creek, Little TN River System.
Copeia 2:558-560.] In 1986, a restoration project was begun to restore this native population. Efforts include collecting egg masses from Citico Creek, rearing them in the lab, and reintroducing them into Abrams Creek after a year.
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Ecology
The smoky madtom is a very secretive catfish. During the day, it buries itself under gravel. It is nocturnal and feeds at night on aquatic invertebrates and small fish.[Department of the Interior. 2011. Species Account, Smoky Madtom. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. http://www.fws.gov] It prefers areas of transition between pools and riffles and spawns in the summer under large, flat rocks.[ Specimens have been collected in areas of transition between pools and riffles in depths around 25 cm (10 in). In the winter and spring, it seems to prefer more gentle runs and pools. The area also includes large boulders for the madtom to hide under, which it has been documented to do when disturbed at night. The water is clear and its temperature is also intermediate between cold and cool water. Stream width is about 4–10 m (13–32 ft).][ Smallmouth bass have been recorded preying on the smoky madtoms.][Cook, Steven.2009. Reintroduction Success of smoky madtom and yellowfin madtom in Abrams Creek, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Tennessee. Tennessee Tech University. http://www.gradwork.umi.com] ''Noturus'' species can be used as an indicator
Indicator may refer to:
Biology
* Environmental indicator of environmental health (pressures, conditions and responses)
* Ecological indicator of ecosystem health (ecological processes)
* Health indicator, which is used to describe the health o ...
of the environment because they are very susceptible to changes. Human disturbances such as logging, mining, and cattle grazing can cause siltation of the water and drop the populations dramatically.[
The female madtom reaches maturity after two years. Spawning happens once per year, and on average 30 eggs are produced. The life expectancy is 4 years, allowing only 2 years of reproduction, with a total of 72 eggs.][ This low reproduction, coupled with extirpation and low tolerance, has led the smoky madtom to be federally listed as endangered. The average spawning season is between June and July.][ The male, like other catfish, defends its nest. The muscles of the head also swell during the breeding season. Siltation plays a vital role in whether the species will reproduce. Too much silt in the water smothers the eggs.
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Management
In 1984, the population was as low as 500-1,000 fish due to a combination of building the Chilhowee Dam, poisoning the creek, and degrading the stream by livestock and tourists.US Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats in the United States. ...
, the US Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
, the National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
, and the University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...
. Since the population was so low, the risk of stocking live fish into Abrams Creek was too high. Egg masses were collected during the spawning season and reared in the lab. The young were released after one year. They were also released at night to minimize predation risk and help them get used to their surroundings. Since then, 10 to 20 clutches have been removed from Citico Creek and a total of 3,167 stocked in Abrams Creek. The average survival is 55%. Since 1990, observations of smoky madtom in Abrams Creek have been increasing. In 2002, 43 of 56 were young-of-year, indicating successful spawning.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3756703
Noturus
Endemic fish of the United States
Endemic fauna of Tennessee
Fish of the Eastern United States
Freshwater fish of the United States
Ecology of the Appalachian Mountains
Monroe County, Tennessee
Fish described in 1969
ESA endangered species