Frecklebelly madtom
Click here to read Matt Wagner's madtom study (photo courtesy Matt Wagner)
Former MS Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks ichthyologist and current USFWS biologist, Matt Wagner, has studied and counted fish species populations throughout the state of Mississippi. In 2018, Matt conducted a study of the frecklebelly madtom (Noturus munitus), a species that has been petitioned for listing on the federal endangered species list. In the Alabama River, the frecklebelly madtom was completely eradicated after the construction of 2 dams and other river impoundments. This very small fish is sensitive to high levels of sedimentation which leads to loss of its gravel habitat. Conservation actions recommended by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: "The present state of the Tombigbee, Pearl, Cahaba, and Conasauga Rivers should be preserved by stopping impoundment. Watershed-wide approaches to erosion control should be developed and encouraged. Riparian buffer zones could help greatly in controlling bank erosion. Activities that destabilize bottom structure such as channelization, dredging, and bridge construction should be very prudently managed."
Photo courtesy Garden Club of Jackson
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