Later, J. C.
P.S. I found this group by doing google search for
them.
--- Bruce Stallsmith <fundulus-in-hotmail.com> wrote:
> John, I suspect you're talking about Barrens
> Topminnows, Fundulus julisia.
> Pat Rakes of Conservation Fisheries, Inc. in
> Knoxville did a widespread
> survey for them several years ago, and as you know
> they've pretty much
> disappeared from most of their original range. They
> may be down to two
> springs, maybe three, all on private land. For a
> variety of reasons they
> don't have federal protection, but the state of
> Tennessee extended some
> level of protection to the species (I forget which
> off the top of my head).
> If you found a new (or rediscovered, really) site
> that would be impressive.
> Breeding this species is not a major challenge, the
> CFI people have produced
> lots of them and I think there's still an exhibit at
> the Chattanooga
> Aquarium with lots of them. Habitat protection is
> the name of the game, and
> there are limited sticks to use on private
> landowners (like, almost none).
> One of the ironies with this species is that a major
> threat to their springs
> has been tree farmers raising saplings to be
> distributed through the
> National Arbor Day Foundation; many of these farmers
> are kinda slack with
> their soil conservation efforts, which of course
> destroys key habitat for
> this fish.
>
> I hope you find Barrens topminnows, and not their
> common distant cousin the
> northern studfish, F. catenatus.
>
> --Bruce Stallsmith
> it's all about spring systems near the Tennessee
> Huntsville, AL, US of A
http://mail.yahoo.com
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