Recovery Plan: Vermilion Darter ('Etheostoma chermocki')

摘要

The vermilion darter is a medium-sized darter, reaching about 7.1 centimeters (2.8 inches) total length (length from tip of snout to longest portion of tail fin). The vermilion darter was listed as endangered under the Act on November 28, 2001 (66 FR 59367). The current range of the vermilion darter is 14.1 kilometers (km) (8.7 miles (mi)) of the main stem of Turkey Creek, the lowermost reaches (0.8 km (0.5 mi)) of Dry and Beaver creeks and within a spring run of an unnamed spring that drains into Beaver Creek along Alabama Highway 79. Restricted and localized in range, the vermilion darter is vulnerable to sedimentation (excess sediments suspended or deposited in a stream), nutrificiation (excessive nutrients present, such as nitrogen and phosphorus), and barriers or restrictions to stream flow. Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is a primary goal of the Act and of our endangered species program. To help guide the recovery effort, we prepare recovery plans for most listed species. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting them, and estimate time and cost for implementing recovery measures. The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed species unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. Actions needed to recover the vermilion darter include: (1) Protect vermilion darter populations and habitat; (2) ensure and support implementation of effective protective actions; (3) determine habitat requirements and population information of the vermilion darter; (4) determine the necessary husbandry techniques of the species, to produce them in captivity and establish an additional population in the known range; (5) identify, acquire, and restore properties in the Turkey Creek watershed; and (6) promote partnerships and voluntary stewardship within the watershed.