Abstract of Presentation to the American Fisheries Society 127th Annual Meeting; 24-28 August 1997; Monterey, California
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Captive Propagation and Restoration of Rare Non-Game Captive Freshwater Fishes

J.R. Shute, Conservation Fisheries, Inc., 3709 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917; (423) 689-0231; noturus@aol.com.

Species recovery efforts generally focus on in situ actions such as habitat protection. However, captive propagation can also provide critical life history information, as well as helping supplement existing or extirpated populations, and is a component of many recovery plans. In addition, culturing rare fishes can provide specimens of a sensitive species, or surrogates for a sensitive species, as laboratory test subjects to refine water quality standards in a watershed containing those rare fishes.

Conservation Fisheries, Inc. (CFI), is currently raising eight rare non-game fishes: the boulder darter (Etheostoma wapiti), the duskytail darter (E. percnurum), the smoky madtom (Noturus baileyi), the yellowfin madtom (N. flavipinnis), the spotfin chub (Cyprinella monacha), the blackside dace (Phoxinus cumberlandensis), the spring pygmy sunfish (Elassoma alabamae), and the Barrens topminnow (Fundulus julisia). Over the past ten years, six of these species have been reintroduced into streams within their historic range; four into Abrams Creek, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All four have been observed at stocking sites in Abrams Creek, and at least three are believed to have reproduced there.

Native fishkeeping hobbyists can contribute to these efforts by supplying information gathered from the propagation of species closely related to those that are rare or endangered. In many cases, this information is not available from any other source.