Threatened and Endangered Species


What Are Threatened and Endangered Species and Why Are They Important?
A federally threatened species is an animal or plant that is likely to become endangered in the near future. A federally endangered species is an animal or plant that is in danger of becoming extinct. Extinct is a when an animal or plant ceases to exist. They are in effect gone from the face of the earth.

Preservation of threatened and endangered species is of particular importance because these species are declining in number and the consequences of losing them is extreme. When a species is lost from the earth it becomes extinct and is never seen again in the wild and sometimes never seen again at all except in photos or preserved taxidermical mounts. Extinction may seem far away from us but it's not. Link here to a list of six fish and five mussels that once existed in our region, but are now extinct. It is too late for those species, however it may not be too late for the species that are threatened and endangered in our region right now. Protection is the key to keeping these species around.

Which Aquatic Species Are Threatened or Endangered in the Midwest Region?
There are a number of threatened and endangered aquatic species within our Region. A few examples would be:

What We Are Doing to Conserve Threatened and Endangered Aquatic Species in the Midwest Region

There are a number of projects that we are conducting to benefit threatened and endangered species. We have improved fish passage for the threatened Niangua darter and protected valuable spring habitat for the threatened Ozark cavefish. We are raising the endangered Higgins' eye pearlymussel for reintroduction, investigating host fish required in the reproductive process of the endangered Winged maple leaf, and raising endangered Pallid sturgeon for reintroduction.

 

 

 

These species were once found in the Midwest Region - but are now EXTINCT.

FISHES
Blackfin cisco (Coregonus nigripinnis)
Formerly found in: Lakes Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior
Extinct in 1960s

Blue pike (Stizostedion vitreum glacum)
Formerly found in: Lakes Erie and Ontario
Declared extinct in 1983

Deepwater cisco (Coregonus johannae)
Formerly found in: Lakes Huron and Michigan
Extinct in 1960s

Harelip sucker (Lagochila lacera)
Found in a few clear streams of the upper Mississippi Valley; Scioto River in Ohio; Tennesse River in Georgia; White River in Arkansas; Lake Erie drainage, Blanchard and Auglaize Rivers in northwestern Ohio
Not seen since 1900

Longjaw cisco (Coregonus alpenae)
Formerly found in: Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan
Declared extinct in 1983

Shortnose cisco (Coregonus reighardi)
Formerly found in: Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Ontario
No individuals collected since 1985

CLAMS
Leafshell (Epioblasma flexuosa)
Formerly found in: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee
Has not been found alive in over 75 years and since 1988 has been considered extinct

Round combshell (Epioblasma personata)
Formerly found in: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio
Has not been found alive in over 75 years and since 1988 has been considered extinct

Sampson's pearlymussel (Wabash riffleshell)
Epioblasma sampsonii
Formerly found in: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky
Declared extinct in 1984
Scioto pigtoe (Pleurobema bournianum)
Formerly found in: Ohio

Tennessee riffleshell (Epioblasma propinqua)
Formerly found in: Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee
Has not been found alive in over 75 years and since 1988 has been considered extinct