Big Darby Creek’s Scioto madtom catfish officially considered extinct
Nocturnal catfish once found in the Big Darby Creek are among 23 species expected to be removed from the Endangered Species Act because they are now considered extinct.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service included the species, called the Scioto madtom, in a list of species thought to have died off, after no reported sightings of the fish for more than 60 years.
Listed as endangered in 1975, the Scioto madtom was known to hide during the day under rocks or in vegetation before emerging at night along the bottom of the stream.
The fish grew to about 2.4 inches long. Their brown bodies featured four darker saddles across their backs. They had white or cream bellies with sensory barbells hanging from their chins. Like all madtoms, they had fin spines that contained a mild stinging venom, according to Ohio State University's Museum of Biological Diversity.
Only 18 fish of the madtom were ever found, with the last confirmed sighting in 1957. It's unclear why the fish have died off but experts say it was likely due to modification of their habitat from siltation, industrial discharge and agricultural runoff.
“I grew up in Columbus and learned to fish from my father in Big Darby Creek,” Charlie Wooley, the wildlife service's regional director for the Great Lakes Region, said in a released statement.
“This announcement regarding the Scioto madtom really stings at a personal level, and I'm sorry we have to propose to delist this species due to extinction. Despite the best efforts of state, federal and academic scientists, we have been unable to find any evidence that Scioto madtoms still survive.”
The purpose of the endangered act is to protect and recover species at risk of extinction and the ecosystems that they depend upon.
Of the 23 species proposed for delisting, federal protections appeared to come too late, with most extinct or in steep decline.
“With climate change and natural area loss pushing more and more species to the brink, now is the time to lift up proactive, collaborative and innovative efforts to save America's wildlife,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in a statement. “We will continue to ensure that states, Tribes, private landowners and federal agencies have the tools they need to conserve America's biodiversity and natural heritage.”
The growing impact of climate change is expected to further exacerbate threats towards species. Nearly 3 billion birds, for example, have been lost in North America since 1970.
Some biologists are concerned that the list of endangered wildlife will increase if Ohio House Bill 175 is signed into law. The bill would eliminate state protections for Ohio's “ephemeral” streams, those that only flow after rain or snow melt.
“If ephemeral stream protection is eliminated in Ohio, I am very concerned it will mean a lot of ‘nails in the coffin' for sensitive fish and mussel species,” said Anthony Sasson, a research associate with the Midwest Biodiversity Institute. “I think that's true for Big Darby watershed mussels, and even for fish species richness in urbanizing areas ....
“The fish might not be federally listed, but the sensitive fish species are what makes Ohio's outstanding streams special. Mining areas also could see degradation.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service said there has been some success in removing species off the list due to recovery. There have been 54 species dropped from the list due to recovery, and another 56 species have been downlisted from endangered to threatened, according to the agency.
Efforts are underway to downlist or delist 60 species due to recovery efforts.
“While acknowledging extinction is a difficult step, we are committed to the successful recovery of imperiled species in Ohio and throughout the Midwest,” Wooley said.
In addition to the Scioto madtom, other species proposed for delisting in Ohio include the tubercled-blossom pearly mussel, which, like other freshwater mussels, rely on streams and rivers with clean water and dependable water sources.
“Since a 1940 survey, several mussel species that are federally listed (such as northern riffleshell, clubshell, rabbitsfoot and snuffbox) that were in multiple central Ohio streams are now only found in one or two, and that's usually Big Darby Creek and Little Darby Creek,” said Sasson, who completed a review of mussel species in central Ohio. “These populations are in danger of being lost, especially where urbanization is spreading.” bharvilla@dispatch.com @Beth_harvilla