NANFA Mailing List Archive: NANFA-L-- cfi in the news

The Barrens Topminnow , one of the rarest fishes in North America, swims in
a tank-in-Conservation Fisheries.
Saving itty-bitty fishes
Conservation Fisheries tends watery flocks of endangered fins
By MORGAN SIMMONS, simmonsm-in-knews.com
May 19, 2005
The aquariums cast an eerie glow. Kayaks, wet suits and snorkeling equipment
also are stored inside the warehouse, but it's the aquariums - more than 300
tanks in all - that catch the eye.
The bottoms of the tanks are covered with gravel and sand, and most contain
a good-sized river rock or two. Jets of water simulate the kind of current
you'd find in a mountain stream, and the fish themselves tend to be small,
colorful and extremely rare.
Based in Knoxville, Conservation Fisheries Inc. is the only private hatchery
in the United States dedicated to rearing endangered, nongame stream fishes.
The nonprofit facility is co-directed by J.R. Shute and Pat Rakes, who met
20 years ago as graduate students in zoology-in-the University of Tennessee.
Shute and Rakes studied under David Etnier, who discovered the snail darter
in the Little Tennessee River during the Tellico Dam controversy and went on
to co-author "The Fishes of Tennessee."
"That was the heyday for graduate students studying the life history of
rare, overlooked fishes," Rakes said. "Dr. Etnier was the magnate. Students today
tend to focus on lab-related stuff. We were lucky to spend time in the field
with one of the world's best overall ecologists."
In 1986, Shute and Rakes joined a multiagency effort to restore populations
of four federally listed species - the smoky madtom, yellowfin madtom,
duskytail darter and spotfin chub - in Abrams Creek in Blount County. A cornerstone
of their work was collecting these fish in other streams by snorkeling,
often-in-night.
Drawing on their expertise as aquarium hobbyists, they pioneered the art of
spawning these elusive catfish, darters and minnows in captivity.
"Our training in ichthyology coupled with our knowledge of fish husbandry
gave us a unique advantage"' Shute said. "We knew how to collect these fish and
how to keep them alive."
Today, Conservation Fisheries, Inc. works closely with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and other groups to
reverse the decline of some of the most imperiled fish in the Southeast.
In June Shute and Rakes will travel to Washington, D.C. to receive the U.S.
Forest Service's Collaborative Aquatic Resource Stewardship Award.
Two years ago Conservation Fisheries, Inc. moved into a larger building.
What used to be a 4,000-square-foot warehouse now serves as their fish-rearing
facility. The aquariums are stacked in rows eight feet high, and much of the
floor space is taken up by livestock watering troughs that serve as small
rearing ponds. The facility circulates about 16,743 gallons of water. There are
no windows (light and temperature are regulated to mimic the seasons), and the
sound of bubbling water fills the room.
"Anything that holds water, we put it to use," Shute said.
Over the years Conservation Fisheries, Inc. has raised more than 40 species
of fish. Much of their funding comes from state and federal grants. Some of
the species they propagate are nearly extinct. In the case of the Barrens
topminnows, a spring-dependent species that has suffered from severe habitat
loss, Conservation Fisheries, Inc. has more specimens in captivity than exist in
the wild.
"We're not producing huge number of fishes," Rakes said. "We can't because
of the biology of these fishes. The duskytail darter, for example, produces
100 eggs per female per year, and we might have only two mating pairs.
"Also, we're restrained in where we can stock because of the lack of
suitable habitat in these fish's historic range."
Conservation Fisheries, Inc. reared a batch of boulder darters that last
week were reintroduced into Shoal Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River,
where the population has been unknown since the late 1800's.
Their project on Abrams Creek was deemed a success in 2002 when reproduction
of three of the species was documented, and they have played an important
role in restoring biodiversity to the Pigeon River in Tennessee, where past
pollution eliminated many of the native fish.
"Some of these species are so rare, if someone wasn't doing this, we'd lose
them," Shute said. "Some people say we're not making a difference, that with
some species, it's already too late. If that's true,-in-least we're going
down kicking and screaming."
Morgan Simmons may be reached-in-865-342-6321.
Copyright 2005, KnoxNews. All Rights Reserved.

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CLAY OWEN
NEWS=20 SENTINEL

The Barrens Topminnow , one of the rarest fishes=20= in=20 North America, swims in a tank-in-Conservation=20 Fisheries.

Saving itty-bitty fishes=20

Conservation Fisheries tends watery flocks of= =20 endangered fins=20

By MORGAN SIMMONS,=20 simmonsm-in-knews.com
May 19,=20 2005=20

The aquariums cast an eerie glow. Kayaks, we= t=20 suits and snorkeling equipment also are stored inside the warehouse, b= ut=20 it's the aquariums - more than 300 tanks in all - that catch the eye.=20

The bottoms of the tanks are covered with gravel and sand, and most= =20 contain a good-sized river rock or two. Jets of water simulate the kin= d of=20 current you'd find in a mountain stream, and the fish themselves tend=20= to=20 be small, colorful and extremely rare.=20

Based in Knoxville, Conservation Fisheries Inc. is the only private= =20 hatchery in the United States dedicated to rearing endangered, nongame= =20 stream fishes. The nonprofit facility is co-directed by J.R. Shute and= Pat=20 Rakes, who met 20 years ago as graduate students in zoology-in-the=20 University of Tennessee.=20

Shute and Rakes studied under David Etnier, who discovered the snai= l=20 darter in the Little Tennessee River during the Tellico Dam controvers= y=20 and went on to co-author "The Fishes of Tennessee."=20

"That was the heyday for graduate students studying the life histor= y of=20 rare, overlooked fishes," Rakes said. "Dr. Etnier was the magnate.=20 Students today tend to focus on lab-related stuff. We were lucky to sp= end=20 time in the field with one of the world's best overall ecologists."=20

In 1986, Shute and Rakes joined a multiagency effort to restore=20 populations of four federally listed species - the smoky madtom, yello= wfin=20 madtom, duskytail darter and spotfin chub - in Abrams Creek in Blount=20 County. A cornerstone of their work was collecting these fish in other= =20 streams by snorkeling, often-in-night.=20

Drawing on their expertise as aquarium hobbyists, they pioneered th= e=20 art of spawning these elusive catfish, darters and minnows in captivit= y.=20

"Our training in ichthyology coupled with our knowledge of fish=20 husbandry gave us a unique advantage"' Shute said. "We knew how to col= lect=20 these fish and how to keep them alive."=20

Today, Conservation Fisheries, Inc. works closely with the U.S. Fis= h=20 and Wildlife Service, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and oth= er=20 groups to reverse the decline of some of the most imperiled fish in th= e=20 Southeast.=20

In June Shute and Rakes will travel to Washington, D.C. to receive=20= the=20 U.S. Forest Service's Collaborative Aquatic Resource Stewardship Award= .=20

Two years ago Conservation Fisheries, Inc. moved into a larger=20 building. What used to be a 4,000-square-foot warehouse now serves as=20 their fish-rearing facility. The aquariums are stacked in rows eight f= eet=20 high, and much of the floor space is taken up by livestock watering=20 troughs that serve as small rearing ponds. The facility circulates abo= ut=20 16,743 gallons of water. There are no windows (light and temperature a= re=20 regulated to mimic the seasons), and the sound of bubbling water fills= the=20 room.=20

"Anything that holds water, we put it to use," Shute said.=20

Over the years Conservation Fisheries, Inc. has raised more than 40= =20 species of fish. Much of their funding comes from state and federal=20 grants. Some of the species they propagate are nearly extinct. In the=20= case=20 of the Barrens topminnows, a spring-dependent species that has suffere= d=20 from severe habitat loss, Conservation Fisheries, Inc. has more specim= ens=20 in captivity than exist in the wild.=20

"We're not producing huge number of fishes," Rakes said. "We can't=20 because of the biology of these fishes. The duskytail darter, for exam= ple,=20 produces 100 eggs per female per year, and we might have only two mati= ng=20 pairs.=20

"Also, we're restrained in where we can stock because of the lack o= f=20 suitable habitat in these fish's historic range."=20

Conservation Fisheries, Inc. reared a batch of boulder darters that= =20 last week were reintroduced into Shoal Creek, a tributary of the Tenne= ssee=20 River, where the population has been unknown since the late 1800's.=20

Their project on Abrams Creek was deemed a success in 2002 when=20 reproduction of three of the species was documented, and they have pla= yed=20 an important role in restoring biodiversity to the Pigeon River in=20 Tennessee, where past pollution eliminated many of the native fish.=20

"Some of these species are so rare, if someone wasn't doing this, w= e'd=20 lose them," Shute said. "Some people say we're not making a difference= ,=20 that with some species, it's already too late. If that's true,-in-leas= t=20 we're going down kicking and screaming."=20

Morgan Simmons may be reached-in-865-342-6321.=20