Chesapeake Logperch

For more than a century after it was first described in the 1800s, the Chesapeake logperch was misunderstood: this striped, greenish-gold bottom-dwelling fish was synonymous with the common logperch until 2008, when genetic testing confirmed it was a unique species.  

However, confirming that it was unique also confirmed that it was rare. Historically, this species was found in the lower Potomac and Susquehanna River watersheds, but it is now found in just a limited portion of the Susquehanna. Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and other partners to better understand the habitat needs of this species and enact conservation measures to improve its status.  

As part of this effort, the Northeast Fishery Center is developing and implementing species propagation strategies to augment populations and restore the Chesapeake logperch within and beyond its current range. The Service will be reviewing the logperch’s status in 2023 to determine whether or not it needs federal protection.