FISHES
BRENA JONES/NCWRC
Broadtail Madtoms collected in Lake Waccamaw
Lake Waccamaw Fish and Mussel Monitoring Surveys
by Brena Jones, Central AWD Coordinator
W ildlife Commission staff, in partnership with NC State Parks, has conducted annual standardized surveys since 2009 for three fish Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) at multiple sites in Lake Waccamaw, including the endemic, federally Threatened Waccamaw Silverside. The mean number of Waccamaw Silversides collected per minute of seining (catch rate) at all sites combined has been highly variable over ten sampling years and was 8.0 fish per minute (fpm) of seining in 2025. This value has ranged from 1.82 fpm in 2017 to 23.5 fpm in 2009. Variability is expected due to the fish’s schooling
behavior, preference for open waters of the lake, and varied sam- pling conditions. The highest catch rate at a single site in 2025 was 26.8 fpm. Waccamaw Killifish and Waccamaw Darters were also successfully collected, showing that populations persist within Lake Waccamaw. Additional snorkel surveys targeting rare fish also successfully detected two Broadtail Madtoms in the northern part of the lake. This was very exciting, as this species has been extremely difficult to locate in the lake. These two individuals have been brought into captivity to help learn more about these tiny, elusive native catfish.
Cape Fear Shiner Broodstock Collection by Brena Jones, Central Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator
T he Cape Fear Shiner is federally listed as Endangered. This minnow species is endemic to the upper portion of the Cape Fear River basin, living in complex run/riffle/pool habitats found across the NC piedmont region. In May of 2025, staff collected 91 Cape Fear Shiner from the Deep River, which were then trans- ported to the US Fish & Wildlife Service Edenton National Fish
Hatchery. These animals will be allowed to spawn in captivity, to maximize the survival of their eggs and offspring. The resulting juveniles will then be stocked back into portions of the species’ range where population levels are lower, with the goal of aug- menting numbers and increasing chances of future reproductive success in the wild. This is the fourth year of this effort.
66 2025 WILDLIFE DIVERSITY PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT
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