Piebald Madtom
Noturus gladiator
- Near threatened
- Card rarity: Uncommon
- Fish
The piebald madtom is a species of madtom catfish that is found in seven river systems in the Tennessee and Mississippi coastal tributaries. The most common systems the species is found in are the Hatchie River, Obion River, and Wolf River. This species is very susceptible to environmental changes, including flow regimes, siltation in nesting sites, and poor environmental quality. The Noturus catfish reproduces from February to September, and females reach sexual maturity in only one year. Current management strategies for this recently discovered species haven't been completely developed yet, but could be comparable to the management of other madtom species. Siltation in the southern portions of the rivers inhabited by Noturus gladiator that comes from the northern aspects of the waterways is causing stress on the reproductive success due to nest suffocation.
Classification
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Siluriformes
- Family
- Ictaluridae
- Genus
- Noturus