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History of Fish Investigations in the Yadkin–Pee Dee River Drainage of North Carolina and Virginia with an Analysis of Nonindigenous Species and Invasion Dynamics of Three Species of Suckers (Catostomidae)
Abstract
North Carolina's river drainages continue to lose their faunal distinctiveness as nonnative fish species establish themselves and expand their distributions, resulting in biotic homogenization. One such example is the Pee Dee drainage on the Atlantic Slope. It is the most speciose drainage in North Carolina, inhabited by 113 species of which 34 are nonindigenous, many introduced from adjacent drainages. The history of fish investigations in the Pee Dee in North Carolina and Virginia is detailed herein. The fauna was first sampled by Cope in 1869 at two conjoined sites—Yadkin River and Gobble Creek, a small tributary at the Yadkin River site (Cope 1870). Cope described numerous new taxa from the drainage, and many subsequent researchers provided data that show additions of nonnative faunal elements. As a case study, indications are that Hypentelium roanokense, Roanoke Hog Sucker, Hypentelium nigricans, Northern Hog Sucker, and Moxostoma rupiscartes, Striped Jumprock, were cryptically introduced after the late 1950s. The Roanoke Hog Sucker, introduced as recently as the 2000s, is found only in three tributaries of the Ararat subsystem in North Carolina and Virginia. The Northern Hog Sucker has expanded its range very little, confined primarily to the North Fork Reddies and Ararat subsystems and a short segment of the mainstem Yadkin River in North Carolina. The Striped Jumprock is now in much of the upper Yadkin system, but not in Virginia, and at several sites in the South Yadkin subsystem. Natural dispersal of all three species is limited by dams and impoundments, but the dispersal by Striped Jumprock has probably been aided by multiple bait bucket introductions. Consequences of nonindigenous species introductions in the drainage are well known for some species but unknown for the Roanoke Hog Sucker, Northern Hog Sucker, and Striped Jumprock.
... Target species included bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and striped jumprock (Moxostoma rupicartes). All three species have been classified as coolwater species in existing literature (Lyons et al., 2009;Myers et al., 2017), however, striped jumprock and creek chub have also been documented in both cool-and warm-water streams (Nelson et al., 2021;Tracy et al., 2013) suggesting that they may have a wider thermal tolerance. Coolwater species tend to have a summer thermal range of 21-24°C (Beauchene et al., 2014;Lyons et al., 2009;McKenna Jr et al., 2010). ...
Identifying environmental drivers of demographic variation is key to predicting community‐level impacts in response to global change. Climate conditions can synchronize population trends and can occur both spatially for populations of the same species, and across multiple species within the same local community. The aim of this study was to investigate patterns of temporal variation in survival for freshwater fish communities in two geographically close but isolated sites and to understand the amount of variation accounted for by abiotic covariates including metrics of water temperature and stream flow. Using mark‐recapture data, we estimated bi‐monthly apparent survival in a Bayesian Cormack‐Jolly‐Seber framework. The model included random effects to quantify temporal variance to understand species synchrony with the rest of the fish community and between sites. Study species included bluehead chub (Nocomis leptocephalus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and striped jumprock (Moxostoma rupiscartes) in the southeastern USA. Results showed that survival varied over time and periods of low survival were associated with higher mean water temperature. However, temporal patterns of survival differed among species and between sites, where survival was synchronous among species within a site but asynchronous between sites for the same species despite their spatial proximity. Study streams differed in summer thermal regimes, which resulted in contrasting summer survival patterns, suggesting sensitivity of these fishes to warming. We found that interspecific synchrony was greater than spatial synchrony, where regional drivers such as temperature may interact with local habitat leading to differences in survival patterns at fine spatial scales. Finally, these findings show that changes in the timing and magnitude of environmental conditions can be critical in limiting vital rates and that some populations may be more resilient to climate variation than others.
... Claytor Lake also supports a Morone saxatilis (Walbaum) (Striped Bass) fishery. Further, introductions of 3 catostomid species to the Yadkin River basin were explained as likely bait-bucket transfers (Tracy et al. 2013). Therefore, bait-bucket introductions of Notchlip Redhorse and Quillback are possible when anglers use live bait collected from other river systems. ...
Two catostomid fishes, Carpiodes cyprinus (Quillback) and Moxostoma col-lapsum (Notchlip Redhorse), were recently discovered in the New River watershed (Ohio River basin) in Virginia. The New River fish fauna is naturally depauperate relative to surrounding watersheds, and it has been altered substantially due to non-indigenous species introductions. Notchlip Redhorse and Quillback are established in Claytor Lake and are dispersing into novel reaches of the mainstem New River. We suspect that these species became established following bait-bucket introductions or incidentally during game-fish stockings. Public education, policy changes, and stricter hatchery procedures are needed to minimize such occurrences of non-indigenous species introductions.
... Based on the habitat requirements of endemic species, and the fact that cumulative habitat degradation may be occurring even at baseflow conditions (Sutherland et al. 2002), benthic habitats and associated endemic species are often the first impacted (Angermeier 1995). Of additional concern is the repeated pattern of exotic species establishment and potential for biotic homogenization following the degradation of both native fish assemblages and their suitable habitats (Lapointe et al. 2012;Tracy et al. 2013). ...
Worldwide, streams and rivers are facing a suite of pressures that alter water quality and degrade physical habitat, both of which can lead to changes in the composition and richness of fish populations. These potential changes are of particular importance in the Southeast USA, home to one of the richest stream fish assemblages in North America. Using data from 83 stream sites in North Carolina sampled in the 1960’s and the past decade, we used hierarchical Bayesian models to evaluate relationships between species richness and catchment land use and land cover (e.g., agriculture and forest cover). In addition, we examined how the rate of change in species richness over 50 years was related to catchment land use and land cover. We found a negative and positive correlation between forest land cover and agricultural land use and average species richness, respectively. After controlling for introduced species, most (66 %) stream sites showed an increase in native fish species richness, and the magnitude of the rate of increase was positively correlated to the amount of forested land cover in the catchment. Site-specific trends in species richness were not positive, on average, until the percentage forest cover in the network catchment exceeded about 55 %. These results suggest that streams with catchments that have moderate to high (>55 %) levels of forested land in upstream network catchments may be better able to increase the number of native species at a faster rate compared to less-forested catchments.
North Carolina’s first state-specific checklist of freshwater fish species was published in 1709 by John Lawson. Subsequent species lists with descriptions included: Brickell (1737), Cope (1870a), Jordan (1889a), Jordan and Evermann (1896-1900), Smith (1907), Jordan et al. (1930), Fowler (1945), Louder (1962), Ratledge et al. (1966), Menhinick et al. (1974). In 1991, Menhinick published “The Freshwater Fishes of North Carolina”, which is still widely in use because a comprehensive update has not been produced since its publication. The increase in the availability of historical records in globally accessible
databases and the surge of collections post-1991 made by federal and state resource agencies, and academic and museum researchers, allowed for the creation of an update of North Carolina’s freshwater fish species in an annotated atlas. Herein we discuss the distribution of the 257 currently described and undescribed freshwater fish species within North Carolina. Annotations for each species include a distributional map with type locality noted where appropriate, remarks concerning questionable records
and misidentifications, extirpations, introductions and interbasin transfers, and imperilment status.
Human activities, particularly habitat destruction and species introductions, are resulting in increased homogenization of once unique biogeographic regions. In the southeastern United States, extensive endemism occurs among highland fish species that have specialized ecologies, are adapted to cool, clear, nutrient-poor conditions, and are sediment-intolerant. Highland streams flow into lower elevation systems, which are often inhabited by more widespread, generalist fish species adapted to warmer, more turbid, fine-sediment-rich, and nutrient-rich conditions. Common land use practices, such as deforestation, degrade stream habitats and reduce habitat diversity, which is often correlated with taxonomic and ecological diversity. Habitat homogenization can thus cause assemblage homogenization via loss of native species and addition of nonindigenous species. However, midpoints in the homogenization process may be characterized by constant or even increased species diversity because generalist, sediment-tolerant, “native” species invade from downstream areas. Perusal of a species list for a river system would not reveal such invasions because lists seldom discriminate between upstream and downstream assemblages in a drainage. Traditional metrics often used in biological assessment, such as species richness (α diversity) and evenness, should not include invasive species, whether native or exotic. Greater attention should be paid to the actual species present and their ecological requirements, and to changes in overlap in species occurrence among regions. Aquatic ecosystem integrity can degrade despite apparent increases in species diversity.
Conservation of native fish stocks is an increasingly important task for fishery managers. Genetic research has shown that brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) native to the southern Appalachian Mountains differ considerably from stocks originating outside the region. Inventories throughout the southern Appalachians during the past decade identified over 500 km of streams that continue to support native brook trout populations. Genetic information can now be integrated with population dynamics data (e.g., abundance and distribution trends) to shape appropriate management strategies for this important fishery and biological resource given the threats it currently faces. Consequently, the American Fisheries Society's Southern Division Trout Committee developed a position statement to advocate management approaches suitable for conserving native southern Appalachian brook trout. The committee's position emphasizes the significance of these stocks, but also recognizes the value of fisheries provided by wild brook trout populations of mixed genetic heritage. Recommendations are provided for addressing issues including habitat protection and improvement, population restorations, stocking of hatchery brook trout, and angling regulations. The committee believes that these recommendations and guidelines, if implemented, will help ensure the future viability of southern Appalachian brook trout.
The Southeastern Fishes Council Technical Advisory Committee reviewed the diversity, distribution, and status of all native freshwater and diadromous fishes across 51 major drainage units of the southern United States. The southern United States supports more native fishes than any area of comparable size on the North American continent north of Mexico, but also has a high proportion of its fishes in need of conservation action. The review included 662 native freshwater and diadromous fishes and 24 marine fishes that are significant components of freshwater ecosystems. Of this total, 560 described, freshwater fish species are documented, and 49 undescribed species are included provisionally pending formal description. Described subspecies (86) are recognized within 43 species, 6 fishes have undescribed subspecies, and 9 others are recognized as complexes of undescribed taxa. Extinct, endangered, threatened, or vulnerable status is recognized for 28% (187 taxa) of southern freshwater and diadromous fishes. To date, 3 southern fishes are known to be extinct throughout their ranges, 2 are extirpated from the study region, and 2 others may be extinct. Of the extant southern fishes, 41 (6%) are regarded as endangered, 46 (7%) are regarded as threatened, and 101 (15%) are regarded as vulnerable. Five marine fishes that frequent fresh water are regarded as vulnerable. Our assessment represents a 75% increase in jeopardized southern fishes since 1989 and a 125% increase in 20 years. The trend for fishes in the southern United States is clear; jeopardized fishes are successively being moved from the vulnerable category to that of imminent threat of extinction.
In 1978 biologists in Gainesville, Florida, began compiling records on the distribution and status of nonindigenous fishes known in U.S. inland waters. The database, now in electronic format, currently contains approximately 17,000 records representing more than 500 nonindigenous fish taxa (i.e., species, hybrids, and unidentified forms). Of these taxa, 317 (61%) are native to the United States but have been introduced by humans into U.S. drainages outside their natural geographic ranges; 185 (35%) are fishes introduced from foreign countries; and 22 (4%) are hybrids. Of the introduced foreign fish taxa, 71 (38%) are species that have established (i.e., reproducing) or possibly established populations in open U.S. waters. The database is a useful tool for natural resource managers and other decision makers. Although we periodically revise records and constantly enter new ones, our database is fairly updated; thus, we are able to more thoroughly analyze patterns of introduction and the spread of nonindigenous fishes within the United States. Moreover, information gaps exposed by the data set should serve to stimulate and guide future research on nonindigenous fishes. This paper introduces our database and provides an overview of temporal and spatial patterns of nonindigenous fish distributions in U.S. inland waters.
The flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris, a carnivorous fish species native to most of the central interior basin of North America, has been introduced into at least 13 U.S. states and 1 Canadian province. Concurrent declines in abundance of native fishes have been reported in aquatic systems where flathead catfish have been introduced. To evaluate the potential impact of this invasive species on the native fish community we developed an ecosystem simulation model (including flathead catfish) based on empirical data collected from a North Carolina coastal river. The model results suggest that flathead catfish suppress native fish community biomass by 5–50% through both predatory and competitive interactions. However, our model suggests these reductions could be mitigated through sustained exploitation of flathead catfish by recreational or commercial fishers at rates equivalent to those for native flathead catfish populations (annual exploitation = 6–25%). These findings demonstrate the potential for using directed harvest of an invasive species to assist in restoring native communities.
We present a new map depicting the first global biogeographic regionalization of Earth's freshwater systems. This map of freshwater
ecoregions is based on the distributions and compositions of freshwater fish species and incorporates major ecological and
evolutionary patterns. Covering virtually all freshwater habitats on Earth, this ecoregion map, together with associated species
data, is a useful tool for underpinning global and regional conservation planning efforts (particularly to identify outstanding
and imperiled freshwater systems); for serving as a logical framework for large-scale conservation strategies; and for providing
a global-scale knowledge base for increasing freshwater biogeographic literacy. Preliminary data for fish species compiled
by ecoregion reveal some previously unrecognized areas of high biodiversity, highlighting the benefit of looking at the world's
freshwaters through a new framework.
Human disturbance increases the invasibility of lotic ecosystems and the likelihood of hybridization between invasive and
native species. We investigated whether disturbance contributed to the invasion of red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) and their hybridization with native blacktail shiner (C.venusta stigmatura) in the Upper Coosa River System (UCRS). Historical records indicated that red shiners and hybrids rapidly dispersed in the
UCRS via large, mainstem rivers since the mid to late 1990s. We measured the occurrence and abundance of parental species
and hybrids near tributary-mainstem confluences and characterized populations at these incipient contact zones by examining
variation across morphological traits and molecular markers. Red shiners represented only 1.2% of total catch in tributaries
yet introgression was widespread with hybrids accounting for 34% of total catch. Occurrence of red shiners and hybrids was
highly correlated with occurrence of blacktail shiners, indicating that streams with native populations are preferentially
colonized early in the invasion and that hybridization is a key process in the establishment of red shiners and their genome
in new habitats. Tributary invasion was driven by post-F1 hybrids with proportionately greater genomic contributions from
blacktail shiner. Occurrence of red shiners and hybrids and the relative abundance of hybrids significantly increased with
measures of human disturbance including turbidity, catchment agricultural land use, and low dissolved oxygen concentration.
Red shiners are a significant threat to Southeast Cyprinella diversity, given that 41% of these species hybridize with red shiner, that five southeastern drainages are invaded, and that
these drainages are increasingly disturbed by urbanization.
abstract: This is the third compilation of imperiled (i.e., endangered, threatened, vulnerable) plus extinct freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America prepared by the American Fisheries Society's Endangered Species Committee. Since the last revision in 1989, imperilment of inland fishes has increased substantially. This list includes 700 extant taxa representing 133 genera and 36 families, a 92% increase over the 364 listed in 1989. The increase reflects the addition of distinct populations, previously non-imperiled fishes, and recently described or discovered taxa. Approximately 39% of described fish species of the continent are imperiled. There are 230 vulnerable, 190 threatened, and 280 endangered extant taxa, and 61 taxa presumed extinct or extirpated from nature. Of those that were imperiled in 1989, most (89%) are the same or worse in conservation status; only 6% have improved in status, and 5% were delisted for various reasons. Habitat degradation and nonindigenous species are the main threats to at-risk fishes, many of which are restricted to small ranges. Documenting the diversity and status of rare fishes is a critical step in identifying and implementing appropriate actions necessary for their protection and management.
1. Historically, biogeographic barriers to the movement of aquatic organisms existed at multiple spatial scales and contributed to the development of unique regional faunas. At increasing spatial scales, these barriers consisted of waterfalls and cascades; catchment divides; major mountain ranges and oceans. This hierarchy of movement barriers produced increasingly distinct aquatic biotas at larger drainage units.
2. Humans have provided a variety of pathways by which aquatic species can circumvent historical biogeographic barriers. These include both authorised and unauthorised stocking, construction of canals and water conveyance systems, transport in ship ballast water, fishing and angling gear (including boats) transferred among water bodies and intentional release of ornamental and other captive species.
3. One consequence of human-aided breaching of biogeographic barriers has been the spread of noxious species that have altered aquatic ecosystems and fisheries in ways that are undesirable to humans.
4. Another consequence of human-aided breaching of biogeographic barriers has been the homogenization of aquatic biotas. Homogenization occurs when a few cosmopolitan species come to dominate communities at the expense of unique native species. Among aquatic organisms this phenomenon is best documented for fish faunas where a small set of species introduced for sport fishing, aquaculture, or ornamental purposes have become widespread throughout the world.
5. Slowing biotic homogenization will require slowing the rate at which species breach biogeographic barriers. This will involve implementing regulations that limit stocking opportunities; increasing the public's awareness about the consequences of releasing non-native species and developing technological solutions that prevent movement of aquatic organisms or eliminate them before they become established.
6. River restoration can influence homogenization of aquatic biotas through two major mechanisms: by removing barriers to movement and by restoring natural habitat conditions. Removal of movement barriers may facilitate the spread of non-native species and thus contribute to biotic homogenization. Restoration of natural flow regimes and habitat conditions may reduce biotic homogenization by favouring regional native species over cosmopolitan, non-native species.
Biotic homogenization is the increased similarity of biotas over time caused by the replacement of native species with nonindigenous species, usually as a result of introductions by humans. Homogenization is the outcome of three interacting processes: introductions of nonnative species, extirpation of native species, and habitat alterations that facilitate these two processes. A central aspect of the homogeniza-tion process is the ability of species to overcome natural biogeographic barriers either through intentional transport by humans or through colonization routes created by hu-man activities. Habitat homogenization through reservoir construction contributes to biotic homogenization as local riverine faunas are replaced with cosmopolitan lentic species. The homogenization process has generally increased biodiversity in most freshwater faunas, as the establishment of new species has outpaced the extinction of native species. There are important exceptions, however, where the establishment of nonindigenous species has had devastating impacts on endemic species. The ho-mogenization process appears likely to continue, although it could be slowed through reductions in the rate of invasions and extirpations and by rehabilitating aquatic habitats so as to favor native species.
1. Data from the literature were used to document colonization patterns by introduced freshwater fishes in 125 drainages across temperate North America. We analysed this data set to quantify susceptibility to invasion, success of the invaders and changes in species richness.
2. Drainages with a high number of impoundments, large basin area and low native species diversity had the greatest number of introduced species. Those drainages containing few native fishes exhibited great variation in the number of invaders, while waters with a rich native fauna contained few introduced species. However, this pattern did not differ significantly from random simulations because the pool of potential invaders is greater for drainages with low species richness.
3. In most drainages, there were more introduced than imperilled or extirpated species, suggesting that invaders tend to increase overall species richness.
4. These patterns suggest that North American fish communities are not saturated with species, but instead, are capable of supporting higher levels of diversity if the pool of potential colonists and the rate of colonization from that pool is increased.
Fish faunas across the continental United States have become more similar through time because of widespread introductions
of a group of cosmopolitan species intended to enhance food and sport fisheries. On average, pairs of states have 15.4 more
species in common now than before European settlement of North America. The 89 pairs of states that formerly had no species
in common now share an average of 25.2 species. Introductions have played a larger role than extirpations in homogenizing
fish faunas. Western and New England states have received the most introductions, which is a reflection of the small number
of native fishes in these areas considered desirable gamefish by settlers.
Hypentelium roanokense Raney and Lachner, Roanoke Hog Sucker
- JENKINS
The case of the Red Shiner: What happens when a fish goes bad? U.S. Geological Survey
- BURKHEAD
A partial synopsis of the fishes of the fresh waters of North Carolina
- COPE
Nonindigenous aquatic species
- FULLER
A review of the biology and management of Blue Catfish
- GRAHAM
Hypentelium nigricans (Lesueur), Northern Hog Sucker
- BUTH
A study of the fishes of the southern Piedmont and Coastal Plain
- FOWLER
Zoogeography of the Fishes of the Central Appalachians and Central Atlantic Coastal Plain, Chapter 6
- HOCUTT
Introduced fishes in Virginia drainages with special reference to cryptic introductions and biogeographic study
- JENKINS
Descriptions of fourteen species of fresh-water fishes collected by the U.S. Fish Commission in the summer of 1888
- JORDAN
Report of explorations made during the summer and autumn of 1888, in the Alleghany region of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and in western Indiana, with an account of the fishes found in each of the river drainages of those regions
- JORDAN
Papers on the waterpower in North Carolina
- SWAIN
Moxostoma rupiscartes Jordan and Jenkins, Striped Jumprock
- JENKINS
Fishes of the central Appalachian drainages: their distribution and dispersal
- JENKINS
The distribution of the fishes of the Catawba-Wateree River drainage basin, North Carolina and South Carolina
- RANDALL
Hypentelium roanokense, a new catostomid fish from the Roanoke River in Virginia
- RANEY
- SMITH
Contributions to North American ichthyology. III. B. Synopsis of the family Catostomidae
- JORDAN
A survey of the fish resources of the upper waters of the Yadkin River. North Carolina Wildlife Conservation
- KING