Rahul Somvanshi
After decades of advocacy and legal battles, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed listing the Barrens darter as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This small, bottom-dwelling fish found only in Middle Tennessee has seen its habitat shrink dramatically, leaving it on the brink of extinction.
The Barrens darter, named for its home on the Barrens Plateau between Nashville and Chattanooga, now survives in just five isolated populations. These remaining groups inhabit less than six miles of headwater streams feeding into the Collins River, a tributary of the Caney Fork in the Cumberland River system.
“I’m so glad Barrens darters are finally getting the life-saving protection of the Endangered Species Act,” said Meg Townsend, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Freshwater species are under incredible threat from reduced safeguards for wetlands.”
The fish’s journey toward protection began in 1994 when it was first identified as a candidate for endangered status. Despite scientific evidence suggesting the darter’s precarious situation, the USFWS denied protection in 2019. This decision prompted the Center for Biological Diversity to file a lawsuit, which they won two years ago, forcing the agency to reconsider.
The Barrens darter faces multiple threats. Chief among these is hybridization with the invasive fringed darter, which has expanded its range and now competes with and breeds with the native fish, diluting its genetic distinctiveness. Additionally, poor agricultural practices have stripped streambanks of stabilizing plants, causing sediment to smother stream bottoms where the fish feed and spawn.
Water-intensive farming in the region has reduced stream flows, particularly during increasingly frequent drought periods. This reduction worsens water quality in the darter’s limited habitat. The removal of many wetland protections in Tennessee has further endangered the species.
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What makes the Barrens darter particularly special is its unique reproductive behavior. Males produce various sounds – knocks, drums, and purrs – to court females and defend their nesting territories. They establish nests under flat rocks, where females lay eggs. After mating, the male provides parental care, cleaning and guarding the eggs until they hatch. This level of parental investment is notable for such a small fish with an approximate three-year lifespan.
Already, two of the seven known populations of Barrens darters have disappeared completely. Each remaining population is small and isolated from others, making them highly vulnerable to local threats.
The proposal, published in the Federal Register on July 1, 2025, opens a 60-day public comment period ending September 2, 2025. Citizens can submit comments on the proposal by searching for docket number FWS-R4-ES-2025-0033 on regulations.gov. The USFWS has also indicated plans to designate critical habitat for the fish at a later date.
“The Fish and Wildlife Service should move swiftly to finalize protections for these gentle little fishes and the places they live,” Townsend urged. “Protecting Tennessee’s rich biodiversity will ensure streams are protected so that people, plants and animals can have the fresh water we all need to thrive.”
If finalized, the endangered listing would provide federal protections against activities that could further harm the species and would allocate resources for conservation efforts. For a fish that has been waiting since 1994 for protection, this proposal represents a crucial step toward preserving one of Tennessee’s unique native species.
