The Ouachita madtom, Noturus lachneri, is a catfish

Catfish

Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...

 of the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Ictaluridae

Ictaluridae

The Ictaluridae, sometimes called Ictalurids, are a family of catfish native to North America, where they are important food fish and sometimes as a sport fish. They include fish commonly known as bullheads, madtoms, channel catfish, and blue catfish....

.The first specimens of the species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 were collected in 1952 it was not until 1969 that they were recognised as a species. The Ouachita madtom is similar to the tadpole madtom

Tadpole madtom

The Tadpole madtom is a species of fish in the Ictaluridae family . It is endemic to Canada and the United States.- Physical description :...

 except the Ouachita madtom has one internasal pore

Nostril

A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation...

 while the tadpole madtom has two, and 16 to 18 anal rays while the tadpole madtom has only 14 to 16. It is also similar to the slender madtom but differing in the sack of serrae on the pectoral spine

Spine (zoology)

A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...

, having more caudal rays, and usually eight pectoral rays while the slender madtom has 9. The maximum length of an Ouachita madtom is about 2.7 inches.

Distribution

The Ouachita madtom was considered an Endangered Species

Endangered species

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...

 by the IUCN in 1986 and 1988 but assessments in 1990 and 1994 showed it to be vulnerable

Vulnerable species

On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...

. The Ouachita madtom is found only in the upper forks of the Saline River (Ouachita River)

Saline River (Ouachita River)

The Saline River is a tributary of the Ouachita River in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Arkansas.The Saline River begins in the eastern foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in Saline and Garland counties and is one of the last free-flowing rivers in the Ouachita River Basin...

 system and in one tributary of the Ouachita River

Ouachita River

The Ouachita River is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana.-Course:...

 in Central Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

, United States.

Habitat

A usual inhabitant of clear, small to medium, gravel

Gravel

Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...

-bottomed streams

STREAMS

In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...

, the Ouachita madtom has been found in extremely shallow areas of the Saline River. It also is found in quiet backwaters under large rocks.

Reproduction

Little is known about the Ouachita madtom's reproduction. However, on August 1, 1980 six Ouachita madtoms were collected in a stream only 3.9 feet across. The six specimens were obviously young-of-the-year and their presence raised speculations that Ouachita madtoms seek smaller streams during summer months to spawn

Spawn (biology)

Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...

.

Known food sources

The Ouachia madtom starts feeding around 20 to 90 minutes after sunset. The following are known sources of food:

• Ephemeropterans
  Mayfly
  Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera . They have been placed into an ancient group of insects termed the Palaeoptera, which also contains dragonflies and damselflies...
  
  
• Dipterans
• Coleopterans
• Trichopterans
• Isopods
• Copepods
• Gastropods

Environmental threats

• Impoundment of water supply
• Commercial gravel operations
• Channelization
• Clear cutting

Conservation

The Ouachita madtom falls under the protection of the United States' Endangered Species Act

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...

 of 1973. The penalties for any form of trackifking or taking of Ouachita madtoms can be as serious as a $500,000 USD fine, 1 year imprisonment, or both. In addition to the penalties listed, civil penalties may be up to $25,000 USD in fines.