Geoff Call
Friday, October 17, 2008 - 9:30-10:00
The Barrens topminnow (Fundulus julisia) was described in 1982 and was known from 14 sites in 1984 distributed in a few headwater streams of the Caney Fork, Duck, and Elk rivers in the Barrens region of the Eastern Highland Rim in Tennessee. By 1997, surveys found the species persisting at only two sites. Nine partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2001, establishing the Barrens topminnow Working Group for the purpose of protecting existing Barrens topminnow sites and establishing the species throughout a significant portion of its historic range by stocking captive-propagated fish. This group has also acquired funding for and overseen research investigations to: (1) characterize Barrens topminnow habitat and evaluate habitat modifications undertaken in some reintroduction sites, (2) assess the population genetic structure of Barrens topminnows, and (3) examine interactions with western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and develop approaches for minimizing impacts of this invasive species to Barrens topminnow populations. Results of these investigations have influenced site selection for restoration efforts and will be used to explore management options to reduce competitive interactions with western mosquitofish during vulnerable life history stages. Barrens topminnows have been stocked in over two dozen sites and monitoring has revealed persistence of stocked fish in many of these. Evidence of recruitment from wild reproduction has also been observed in many sites. Detecting limited signs of persistence and recruitment has been encouraging, given that monitoring has been limited to stocked sites, from which Barrens topminnows might well be dispersing into other suitable habitat.
Keywords: FISH RESTORATION, COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION, INVASIVE SPECIES, BARRENS