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Madtoms are small members of the Catfish Family (Ictaluridae) and have one of the most interesting names of all freshwater fishes. The name "madtom" comes from the fish's erratic swimming behavior when captured (Jordan 1889, Ono 1983) and possibly from its unique self defense mechanisms. Indeed, these small secretive catfish are well armed with fused dorsal rays, or "barbs," that can inflict a painful puncture wound to the unwary handler. Madtoms, despite their small size, can be distinguished from other freshwater catfish because their caudal or "tail" fins merge with their adipose (fleshy) fins. Many species of madtoms have drawn the attention of conservation groups and resource agencies in recent years due to their scarcity. The chucky madtom (Noturus crypticus) is a recently described species known from only 15 specimens collected from two Tennessee streams: Dunn Creek in Sevier County, Tennessee, and Little Chucky Creek in Greene County, Tennessee (Burr et al. 2005). Only three chucky madtoms have been encountered since 1994 despite many surveys of both streams and other streams in eastern Tennessee of similar size and character. The chucky madtom is obviously a very rare fish. Not much is known about chucky madtom life history, but useful information on feeding and breeding behavior can be gleaned from literature on closely related madtoms (Etnier and Jenkins 1980, Burr and Dimmick 1981, Dinkins and Shute 1996). Madtoms are nocturnal and usually well hidden during the day. Many species of madtoms are benthic (i.e., bottom dwelling) fishes that hide under gravel, sand, leaves, and logs to avoid detection from predators. Madtom diets consist primarily of small aquatic insects, some populations of which are sensitive to degraded water quality. The combination of life spans typically less than three years and low reproductive capacity compared to other North American fishes leaves madtom populations vulnerable to environmental disturbances that could disrupt spawning in even a single year. These life history traits contribute to the relatively high degree of imperilment in madtoms as a group (Warren et al. 1997). All of the chucky madtoms known to science have been found in stream runs with slow current over gravel and bedrock (Burr and Eisenhour 1994). The areas where this species is known to exist have intact streamside vegetation (Shute et al. 1997), suggesting the importance of riparian buffers for maintaining habitat quality in aquatic systems. Because of its extreme rarity and the threat of extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the chucky madtom a candidate for protection under the Endangered Species Act in 2002 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002) . The species is currently listed as "endangered" by the State of Tennessee. In 2005 the Middle Nolichucky Watershed Alliance completed A Watershed Action Plan: Options for Improving Water Quality in Little Chucky Creek. The MNWA selected Little Chucky Creek as the focus of its first ever watershed plan due in part to the presence of the chucky madtom. Contributing to the efforts of the MNWA in developing and implementing this plan, the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cookeville Field Office and multiple partners have initiated or completed several projects with landowners along Little Chucky Creek in an effort to protect chucky madtoms and their habitat. Funding for these projects has come from the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife program in addition to programs administered by the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Development Authority, and World Wildlife Fund. The private landowners participating in these programs have provided funding or in-kind contributions in exchange for the assistance they receive. These cooperative projects aimed at reducing non-point source pollution include measures such as stabilizing stream banks, constructing fences to prevent livestock access to streams and streamside vegetation, and providing hardened stream crossings and alternate water sources for livestock.
Little Chucky Creek before bank stabilization project.
Bank stabilization project completed.
Little Chucky during high water. In addition to projects aimed at improving habitat and water quality in Little Chucky Creek, the Service has funded efforts by Conservation Fisheries, Inc., and the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct distribution surveys for chucky madtoms. While seeking current information on the status of the species, it is hoped that one or more pairs of chucky madtoms can be collected to initiate a captive propagation program. Conservation Fisheries, Inc., has considerable experience in breeding and rearing rare madtoms and is an enthusiastic partner in this effort, now volunteering time and resources to cooperative attempts to collect this elusive species. Through such proactive conservation measures, the Service and its many partners hope to conserve the chucky madtom for future generations. If you are interested in learning more about this fish or the Service's effort to protect it, please contact Geoff Call at 931-528-6481, ext. 213, or Geoff_Call@fws.gov. Burr, B.M. and D.J. Eisenhour. 1994. Final report: status survey of the chucky madtom (Ictaluridae: Noturus sp.) in east Tennessee. Report submitted to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Nashville. 24 pp. Burr, B. M., D. J. Eisenhour, and J. M. Grady. 2005. Two new species of Noturus (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae) from the Tennessee River drainage: description, distribution, and conservation status. Copeia 4:783-802. Burr, B. M. and W. W. Dimmick. 1981. Nests, eggs and larvae of the elegant madtom Noturus elegans from Barren River drainage Kentucky (Picces:Ictaluridae). Trans. Ky. Acad. Sci. 42:116-118. Dinkins, G. R. and P. W. Shute. 1996. Life histories of Noturus baileyi and N. flavipinnis (Pisces:Ictaluridae), two rare madtom catfishes in Citico Creek, Monroe County, Tennessee. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History 18:43-69. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice of findings on Recyled Petitions; Annual Description of Progress on Listing Actions. Federal Register 67 (13 June 2002): 40657-40679. Etnier, D. A. and R. E. Jenkins. 1980. Noturus stanauli, a new madtom catfish from the Clinch and Duck rivers, Tennessee. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural History 5:17-22. Jordan, D. S. 1889. Report of explorations made during the summer and autumn, 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 basins of those regions. U.S. Fish Commission Bulletin 8(1888):97-173. Ono, R. D., J. D. Williams, and A. Wagner. 1983. Vanishing Fishes of North America. Stone Wall Press, Washington, D.C. Shute, P. W., P. L. Rakes, and J. R. Shute. 1997. Status survey of the chucky madtom (Noturus sp., cf. elegans). Final Report for Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Contract No. GR-5-106052-6-01. 14 pp Warren, M. L., Jr., P. L. Angermeier, B. M. Brooks, and W. M. Haag. 1997. Decline of a diverse fish fauna: patterns of imperilment and protection in the Southeastern United States. pp. 105-164 In: Aquatic Fauna in Peril: The Southeastern Perspective, G.W. Benz and D.E. Collins (editors). Species Publication 1, Southeast Aquatic Research Institute, Lenz Design & Communications, Decatur, Georgia.
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