NANFA-- flame chub status

Christopher Scharpf (ichthos_at_charm.net)
Fri, 03 May 2002 06:57:57 -0400

Dave Neely said:

> Of all the fish that need protection, this one doesn't belong on the list...
> it's pretty abundant across parts of its range, and is only declining on the
> periphery (upstream of Chattanooga, Kentucky, Coosa River drainage in AL,
> etc.).

Really? Hhmmm....the info I've dug up suggests otherwise.

Although its current status is poorly documented, the flame chub is
extirpated from many regions (including all known occurrences in Kentucky)
and lives only in small numbers (<400 individuals) where it's extant. Recent
visits to springs in the upper Coosa River drainage of Alabama revealed that
the springs had been destroyed (NatureServe, 2001). In east Tennessee, the
flame chub has nearly disappeared (Etnier and Starnes, 1993), but appears to
be stable in the middle Tennessee drainage as long as the integrity of
springs are maintained (NatureServe, 2001).

Flame chub are protected in Tennessee and Georgia and may not be collected
without a special permit. Flame chub are legally collected in Alabama, but
even here the responsible native fish enthusiast will exercise restraint and
good sense. Any careless or overzealous removal of flame chub from the wild
could have a negative impact on the species as a whole. Please do not
collect flame chub unless you are serious about propagating them in
captivity.

Chris Scharpf
Baltimore
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