The Ouachita madtom (''Noturus lachneri'') is a
catfish
Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...
of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Ictaluridae
The Ictaluridae, sometimes called ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are an important food source and sometimes fished for sport. The family includes about 51 species, some commonly known as bullheads, madt ...
. The first
specimens of the
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
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
The tadpole madtom (''Noturus gyrinus'') is a species of fish in the family Ictaluridae. It is native to Canada and the United States.
Description
An adult tadpole madtom is typically , however they have recorded at a length of . The tadpole m ...
(''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 (''N. exilis'')
but differing in the lack of
serrae on the pectoral
spine, 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 by the IUCN in 1986 and 1988. Assessments in 1990 and 1994 showed it to be vulnerable, 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)
The Saline River, also known as Saline Creek, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 3, 2011 tributary of the Ouachita River in the south central portion of the U.S. ...
system and in one tributary of the Ouachita River
The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United State ...
in Central Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, United States.[
]
Habitat
A usual inhabitant of clear, small to medium, gravel-bottomed streams, the Ouachita madtom has been found in extremely shallow areas of the Saline River. It also is found in quiet backwaters under large rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
s.
Reproduction
Little is known about the Ouachita madtom's reproduction. 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
Spawn or spawning may refer to:
* Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise
** '' 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 m ...
* Coleopteran
Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described ...
s
* Trichoptera
The caddisflies, or order Trichoptera, are a group of insects with aquatic larvae and terrestrial adults. There are approximately 14,500 described species, most of which can be divided into the suborders Integripalpia and Annulipalpia on the b ...
ns
* Isopods
Isopoda is an order of crustaceans that includes woodlice and their relatives. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water, or on land. All have rigid, segmented exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and ...
* Copepods
* Gastropods
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. The ...
Environmental threats
* Impoundment of water supply
* Commercial gravel operations
* Channelization
* Clear cutting
Clearcutting, clearfelling or clearcut logging is a forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, it is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ...
Conservation
The Ouachita madtom is considered a species of greatest conservation need by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is a state agency of Arkansas, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Steve N. Wilson of Norfork, Arkansas joined the agency in 1968 and became its director in 1979. He resigned in 2000 and died in 2021. I ...
.[ The penalties for any form of trafficking or taking of Ouachita madtoms can be as serious as a $500,000 ]USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
fine
Fine may refer to:
Characters
* Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny''
* Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano
Legal terms
* Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...
, 1 year imprisonment, or both. In addition to the penalties listed, civil penalties
A civil penalty or civil fine is a financial penalty imposed by a government agency as restitution for wrongdoing. The wrongdoing is typically defined by a codification of legislation, regulations, and decrees. The civil fine is not considered ...
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
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
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