Carolina Madtom

The Carolina madtom is a small catfish that is found only in North Carolina, within the Neuse River. The fish faces a variety of threats. Habitat degradation - the primary threat - affects water quality, water quantity, instream habitat suitability, and habitat connectivity. One of three historical populations is presumed extirpated. The remaining two populations are small, isolated, with a contracted range that makes them vulnerable to catastrophic and natural events. The Carolina madtom received federal protection as an endangered species on June 9, 2021.

Threats

Pollution 

The Carolina madtom needs clean, flowing water to survive. Human-caused increases in river water temperatures have been identified as a factor in the decline of the madtom. 

Reduced stream flow 

Drought and impoundments slow down the natural flow of streams, compromise water quality, hamper fish movement, limit available prey, and prevent waste and fine sediments from flushing out of the stream. 

Agriculture and development 

Streams with urbanized or agriculturally dominated riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian corridors tend to have more sediment in the water and unstable banks and/or impervious surface runoff, resulting in less suitable streams for fish as compared to habitat with forested corridors. 

Habitat fragmentation 

Dams and perched or undersized culverts limit the madtom’s ability to distribute throughout streams to find good quality habitat. For example, the construction of Falls Lake dam in tive specieshe upper Neuse isolated Carolina madtoms in the upper basin from the middle Neuse basin. Isolated or patchy distributions of fish may limit genetic exchange. 

Invasive species

The flathead catfish is an invasive top predator in the Neuse and Tar River basins, upon which no other creatures' prey. It feeds mostly on other fish. Hydrilla is an invasive, submerged aquatic plant that forms nearly impenetrable mats of stems and leaves at the surface of the water. It alters stream habitat, decreases flows, and contributes to sediment buildup in streams. 

Partnerships, research and projects

The Service and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission are working with numerous partners to conserve the Carolina madtom and restore its habitat while meeting the socioeconomic, political and cultural needs of current and future generations. Land trusts are targeting key parcels for acquisition. Federal, state, and university biologists are surveying and monitoring species occurrences, and recently funding has been secured to implement captive propagation and species population restoration via augmentation, expansion, and reintroduction efforts.

Actions underway 

Research: Conservation Fisheries Inc. received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife foundation to collected Carolina madtom individuals, juveniles and eggs and it is attempting to propagate the madtom in captivity. With help from NC State, they designed these nifty structures dubbed “Madtom Motels” to provide cover for nest sites in the wild. The fish that Conservation Fisheries Inc produce in captivity will go into the wild to augment the current populations and expand the madtom’s reach into historical habitat. 

Recovery plan under development.  

Facilitating habitat restoration and releasing waterdogs in private lands: 

The USFWS and NCWRC have drafted a programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement for 21 aquatic species that will support species restoration efforts, including population augmentation and reintroduction of the Carolina madtom into historically occupied or other suitable habitats. The draft agreement is currently under review by staff at both agencies.  

Avoiding, minimizing and mitigating impacts from transportation projects: 

The USFWS and NC Department of Transportation have entered into a programmatic consultation agreement to minimize and mitigate impacts from bridge and culvert construction and maintenance activities. We seek to ensure projects are conducted with appropriate methods for protecting instream habitat, and support recovery actions for the Carolina madtom through fees. 

Land acquisitions: 

Conservation land trusts are targeting parcels for acquisition in key watersheds occupied by the Carolina madtom. 

Facilitating conservation at commercial timber thinning or harvest: 

The USFWS and NCWRC have drafted a programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement for 21 aquatic species that will support species restoration efforts, including population augmentation and reintroduction of the Carolina madtom into historically occupied or other suitable habitats. The draft agreement is currently under review by staff at both agencies.  

Regulatory protections: 

• The USFWS designated critical habitat at 257 river miles that fall within 7 units in Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Johnston, Jones, Nash, Orange, Vance, Warren, and Wilson Counties, North Carolina. The designation extends Endangered Species Act’s protections to the critical habitats. 

• The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has special nutrient management plans for the Tar-Pamlico River Basin and the Neuse River Basin to help reduce nutrients that cause excessive growth of microscopic or macroscopic vegetation and lead to extremely low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water.