The Ouachita madtom (''Noturus lachneri'') is a
catfish of the
family Ictaluridae. The first
specimens of the
species were collected in 1952 it was not until 1969 that they were recognised as a species. The Ouachita madtom is similar to the
tadpole madtom (''N. gyrinus'') except the Ouachita madtom has one
internasal pore while the tadpole madtom has two, and 16 to 18
anal rays while the tadpole madtom has only 14 to 16. It is also similar to the
slender madtom
''Noturus exilis'', also called the slender madtom, is a species of the catfish family Ictaluridae. Ictaluridae includes bullheads, madtoms, channel catfish, and blue catfish. ''Noturus exilis'' is found in the central portion of the Mississipp ...
(''N. exilis'')
but differing in the lack of
serrae on the pectoral
spine
Spine or spinal may refer to:
Science Biology
* Vertebral column, also known as the backbone
* Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite
* Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants
* Spine (zoolog ...
, having more
caudal rays, and usually eight
pectoral rays while the slender madtom has 9. The maximum length of an Ouachita madtom is about .
[
]
Distribution
The Ouachita madtom was considered an Endangered Species
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
by the IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
in 1986 and 1988. Assessments in 1990 and 1994 showed it to be vulnerable
Vulnerable may refer to:
General
* Vulnerability
* Vulnerability (computing)
* Vulnerable adult
* Vulnerable species
Music
Albums
* ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997
* ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003
* ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...
, but it was again listed as endangered in 2010.[ The Ouachita madtom is found only in the upper forks of the Saline River (Ouachita River) system and in one tributary of the Ouachita River in Central Arkansas, United States.][
]
Habitat
A usual inhabitant of clear, small to medium, gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classifi ...
-bottomed streams
A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...
, the Ouachita madtom has been found in extremely shallow areas of the Saline River. It also is found in quiet backwater
Backwater or Backwaters may refer to:
Music
* ''Backwaters'' (album), a 1982 album by American guitarist Tony Rice
* Backwater (band), a jazz fusion band from Mobile, Alabama, or this band's 1976 debut album
* "Backwater", a song by Brian Eno fro ...
s under large rocks.
Reproduction
Little is known about the Ouachita madtom's reproduction
Reproduction (or procreation or breeding) is the biological process by which new individual organisms – "offspring" – are produced from their "parent" or parents. Reproduction is a fundamental feature of all known life; each individual or ...
. However, on August 1, 1980 six Ouachita madtoms were collected in a stream only across. The six specimens were obviously young-of-the-year and their presence raised speculations that Ouachita madtoms seek smaller streams during summer months to spawn.
Known food sources
The Ouachia madtom starts feeding around 20 to 90 minutes after sunset. The following are known sources of food:
* Ephemeropterans
* Dipterans
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
* Coleopterans
* Trichopterans
* Isopods
* Copepods
Copepods (; meaning "oar-feet") are a group of small crustaceans found in nearly every freshwater and saltwater habitat. Some species are planktonic (inhabiting sea waters), some are benthic (living on the ocean floor), a number of species have p ...
* Gastropods
Environmental threats
* Impoundment of water supply
* Commercial gravel operations
* Channelization
* Clear cutting
Conservation
The Ouachita madtom is considered a species of greatest conservation need by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.[ The penalties for any form of trafficking or taking of Ouachita madtoms can be as serious as a $500,000 USD fine, 1 year imprisonment, or both. In addition to the penalties listed, civil penalties may be up to US$25,000 in fines.
]
See also
* Caddo madtom: related catfish also in the Ouachita River
References
* Fishes of Arkansas, Robinson, Henry W., Thomas M. Buchanan, University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, 1984, pp. 307–308.
*Distribution, Habitat and Food of the Quachita Madtom, Noturus lachneri, an Ouachita River Drainage Endemic
*Henry W. Robison, George L. Harp. Copeia, Vol. 1985, No. 1 (Feb. 11, 1985), pp. 216–220
* United States Fish and Wildlife Service Threatened and Endangered Species System
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3756711
Noturus
Freshwater fish of the United States
Fish of the Eastern United States
Endemic fish of the United States
Endemic fauna of Arkansas
Fish described in 1969
Ouachita River