Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery
145 Fish Hatchery Road/Celina, TN 38551
Telephone 931-243-2443/FAX 931-243-3962

CONTACT: Andrew Currie, 931-243-2443
Email: andrew_currie@fws.gov

The Barrens topminnow (Fundulus julisia) is an extremely rare fish occurring in springs and spring influenced streams on the Barrens Plateau in south-central Tennessee. Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery (NFH) is an active member of the Barrens Topminnow Working Group (Group), a conservation coalition dedicated to the protection of existing populations of Barrens topminnows (BTMs) while restoring and enhancing other areas within the species historic range for future reintroductions. The Group will consider the topminnow secure when there are 15 protected populations within the historic range of the species.

In support of this effort, BTMs propagated at Conservation Fisheries Incorporated (Knoxville, TN) and the Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga, TN) are being transferred to Dale Hollow NFH for grow-out and subsequent reintroduction into the wild. Juvenile fish are reared in closed, recirculation systems in order to control water temperature and prevent the spread of disease between various lots of BTMs and other aquatic species being reared at the hatchery. The typical BTM rearing system consists of a 300 gallon capacity circular tank (plastic or fiberglass), outfitted with a sponge filter (driven by compressed air) and two biofilters (trickling filters). Water is circulated from the tank, through the biofilters, and back into the tank with a magnetic drive pump. Fish are fed a mixed diet of frozen brine shrimp, frozen blood worms, and spirulina flakes. The bottom of the tank is covered with aquarium gravel and green colored mop heads are provided for cover. These mop heads are made of green colored yarn and are intended to mimic the filamentous green algae which is typically a component of good BTM habitat.

BTMs reared at Dale Hollow NFH were first stocked into the wild on August 22, 2001 when 63 fish were stocked into three, spring-fed pools at a site located in Coffee County, Tennessee. Since this initial stocking, a total of 3,285 BTMs, grown-out at Dale Hollow NFH, have been released at eight sites in Warren, Grundy, and Coffee Counties in Tennessee. Prior to stocking, every lot of fish is tagged (elastomer tags) on a different location of the body so that fish movement and survival can be tracked. Long term monitoring is essential for measuring success and to provide scientific information necessary for the conservation of this species. The continued success of this program depends a great deal on private landowner cooperation because most stocking sites are located on private land.

Site last updated March 25, 2008

| Home | Contact Site Administration and Questions | Conservation Fisheries Incorporated | Tennessee Aquarium |

Home | Site Administration and Questions

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Homepage | Department of Interior | USA.gov | About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Accessibility | Privacy | Notices | Disclaimer | FOIA | DOI Inspecter General