Noturus baileyi

Smoky Madtom
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Siluriformes
Family:	Ictaluridae
Genus:	Noturus
Species:	N. baileyi
Binomial name
Noturus baileyi Taylor, 1969

Abstract

A monitoring plan was developed to help provide information concerning the rare species of catfish, Noturus baileyi or smoky madtom. Little information exists about the Smoky madtom, along with other members of the Noturus species, due to the high turbity in which they spawn, preventing observation, as well as their nocturnal behaviors.^[1] It is endemic to Citico Creek, and more recently Abrams Creek, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.^[2] Extirpation happened due to a toxin which was delivered to the creek.^[3] This species is nocturnal and feeds at night on aquatic invertebrates and small fish.^[4] It prefers areas of transition between pools and riffles and spawns in the summer under large, flat rocks.^[5] The Smoky madtom is very susceptible to disturbances in the water and therefore, heavy siltation can damage the reproductive potential of this fish. The female madtom reaches maturity after two years. Spawning happens once a year and on average, 30 eggs are produced. The life expectancy is 4 years, allowing only 2 years of reproduction, with a total of 72 eggs.^[6] This low reproduction, coupled with extirpation and low tolerance, has lead the Smoky madtom to be federally listed as endangered. The madtom is a small member of the Ictaluridae family, only reaching a maximum of two inches. It is an olive brown on top with white to yellow below. Four saddles line the back of this species.^[6] After the extirpation from Abrams Creek happened, a restoration project began to restore this native population. Efforts include collecting egg masses from Citico Creek, rearing them in the lab, and reintroducing them into Abrams Creek after a year.^[5] This project is proving successful; however it is a long, slow process. Future management may include finding new areas of habitat which would meet the life cycle requirements of the Smoky madtom. A greater area with more populations would create a larger gene pool and help ensure the survival of this elusive species.

Geographic Distribution

The Smoky madtom was originally thought to only inhabit one area, Abrams Creek. This is a creek in the Little Tennessee River System in Blount County, TN. It is a fourth order stream, of moderate size and drains about 23,000 hectares. Abrams Falls is a waterfall which divides the creek into two sections.In 1957, Chilhowee Dam was closed and an ichthyocide was administered in the creek, killing nearly everything downstream on the falls. This included almost half of the 64 species historically residing there. The idea of this project was to enhance trout fishery.^[5] The Smoky madtom was presumed extinct until in 1980, another population was found in Citico Creek in the Cherokee National Forest, Monroe County, TN.^[7] In 1986, efforts began to restore the populations of many of the species which were extirpated in 1957. This project required several agencies working together. Although there has been some success, progress is slow. Today, these two creeks are the only known areas the Smoky madtom inhabits.

Ecology

Noturus baileyi is a very secretive catfish. During the day, the Smoky madtom buries itself under gravel. It is nocturnal and therefore prefers to feed at night. It is an opportunistic carnivore, feeding on aquatic invertebrates, small fish, and has also been found to scavenge.^[8] Specimens have been collected in areas of transition between pools and riffles in depths of about 25 cm. In the winter and spring it seems to prefer more gentle runs and pools. The area also includes large boulders for the madtom to hide under, which it has been documented to do when disturbed at night.The water is clear and its temperature is also intermediate between cold and cool water. Stream width is approximately 4-10 m.^[7] Small mouth bass have been recorded preying on the Smoky madtom.^[9] Noturus species can be used as an indicator of the environment. This is due to the fact that they are very susceptible to changes. Human disturbances such as logging, mining, and cattle grazing can cause siltation of the water and drop the populations dramatically.^[3]

Life History

The average spawning season is between June and July. In 1982, females were found between May 13th to July 7th with distended abdomens. Each nest will include up to 36 eggs, the average being 30. In 1982 the average was 35-42 eggs. Eggs have been collected in nests under large, flat, slabrocks.^[4] The Smoky madtom male, like other catfish defend their nest. The muscles of their head also swell during the breeding season. The average life expectancy is 4 years. Maturation of the female happens after two years, which gives only two years of reproduction. Since they breed only once a year, this means one pair will only produce 72 eggs in their lifetime.^[6] Again, siltation plays a vital role in whether or not this species will reproduce. Too much silt in the water will smother the eggs. This species will only get up to two inches long. It has a slender body and a flat head. Its coloration is olive brown on top with white or yellow on its belly. There are 4 yellow saddles that extend along the body.^[7] The taxa of Noturus is very similiar and are differentiated by their number of anal fin rays, body shape, genotypic arrays, and pigmentation.^[10] Like many fish species, the smoky madtom can be prone to fungal and bacterial infections.

Current Management

The restoration project in 1986 required the help of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and the University of Tennessee. Since the population was so low, the risk of stocking live Smoky madtoms into Abrams Creek was too high. They began to collect egg masses during the spawning season and rear them in the lab. They also tried to induce spawning of adults in the lab. The young were released after one year of age. They were also released at night to minimize predation risk and help them get used to their surroundings. Since then, ten to twenty clutches have been removed from Citico Creek and a total of 3,167 stocked in Abrams Creek. The average survivorship is 55%. Since 1990, observations of Smoky madtom in Abrams Creek have been increasingly abundant. In 2002, 43 out of 56 were young-of-year, indicating successful spawning. This species has been, and still is listed as endangered.[shute] In 1984 the population was as low as 500-1000 fishes. This is due to a combination of building the Chilhowee dam, poisoning the creek, and degrading the stream with livestock and tourists.^[4] Re-establishing a population in Abrams Creek could work, however due to the fact that the area lies mostly within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, rather than on private land. Cattle farming is now no longer allowed within the park and efforts to restore riparian vegetation are proving successful. Education of the public is needed to help them understand that activates such as building rock dams are reducing spawning cover of this species.

Management Recommendations

Continued effort to restore this species is needed to ensure its survival. With the success of the Abrams Creek reintroduction, the future looks promising. When populations reach a self-sustaining number, we should consider the idea of finding new creeks for the Smoky madtom to inhabit. This would require scouting out suitable habitat which would meet all the life cycle requirements of this species. The benefits of this would include a separate population with a broader gene pool. The area would have to be within a protected area like a park or refuge to make sure it is not disturbed.^[5] The area would also have to have low populations of predators such as the small mouth bass so perhaps an area with a barrier would be needed to ensure they can’t move in. Annual sampling using seines would be conducted following the spawning season to see if reproduction is successful. I would avoid using electroshockers as the fragile numbers may not be able to take the stress they present. Breeding in the lab is proving challenging. The best chance is to continue to rear eggs in the lab, release the madtoms, and hope for successful spawning. As always, our best tool is education. The public should be aware of how endangered this species is. We should also make them aware of the damaging effects that occur when they build rock dams or allow livestock to graze along creeks. Through cooperation of public and private landowners, this species should continue to increase in number.

References

1. ^ Bulger, Angela G. 2002. Breeding Behavior and Reproductive Life History of the Neosho Madtom, Noturus placidus (Teleostei: Ictaluriade). Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 105(3-4):106-124.
2. ^ Dinkins, Gerald R. 1996. Life Histories of Noturus baileyi and N. Flavipinnis, Two Rare Madtom Catfishes in Citico Creek, Monroe County Tennessee. Bulletin Alabama Museum of Natural History 18:43-69.
3. ^ ^{a b} Enature.2007. Smoky Madtom. Shearwater Marketing Group, Washington DC. http://www.enature.com
4. ^ ^{a b c} Department of the Interior. 2011. Species Account, Smoky Madtom. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serivce. http://www.fws.gov
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Shute, J.R. 2005. Reintroduction of Four Imperiled Fishes in Abrams Creek,Tennessee.Southeastern Naturalist 4(1):93-110.
6. ^ ^{a b c} Global Species. 2009-2011. Noturus baileyi. Myers Enterprises. http://www.globalspecies.org
7. ^ ^{a b c} Bauer, Bruce H. 1983. Discovery of Noturus Baileyi and N. flavipinnis in Citico Creek, Little TN River System. Copeia 2:558-560.
8. ^ All Fishing. 2004-2011. Catfishes - Smoky Madtom. All Fishing Guide. http://www.allfishingbuy.com
9. ^ Cook, Steven.2009. Reintroduction Success of smoky madtom and yellowfin madtom in Abrams Creek, Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Tennessee. Tennessee Tech Univeristy. http://www.gradwork.umi.com
10. ^ Burr, Brooks M. 2005. Two New Species of Noturus (Siluriformes:Ictaluridae) from the Tennessee River Drainage: Description, Distribution, and Conservation Status. Coepia 4:783-802.