On October 13ᵗʰ, 2026, the quiet morning at Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery blossomed into a scene filled with purpose, hope, and unmistakable momentum. What began as a calm fall day quickly transformed into a testament to dedication as Conservation Biologist Jackson Booth of Conservation Fisheries Incorporated (CFI) in Knoxville, TN, joined forces with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Biologist Melissa Briggs at the Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery. Together, they gathered for a mission years in the making: preparing the rare and imperiled Barrens Topminnow (Fundulus julisia) for its long‑awaited return to the wild in Hickory Creek on November 4ᵗʰ.
The Barrens Topminnow is a fish found nowhere else on Earth except Tennessee — more specifically, only the Barrens Plateau of Middle Tennessee, west of the Cumberland Plateau. Today, it survives in the wild only in the Elk River and West Hickory Creek, a drainage of the Cumberland River. With its tiny range, short lifespan of just three years, and only three remaining original populations, the stakes could not be higher. Listed as endangered in 2019 under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the species depends on both careful captive management and a future where it can once again thrive in its own native waters.
And that future depends, in no small part, on us — the public. Conservation planning is strongest when communities lend their voices, their eyes, and their support. To learn more about the Barrens Topminnow and why its survival matters, visit its Species Profile: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/5045.
At exactly 10 a.m., the day’s operation began. One tank at a time, small groups of 5 to 7 fish were gently lifted from the water — each one carrying with it years of research, care, and hope. The teams moved in practiced rhythm, carefully counting males and females, recording vital information, and preparing each group for the next crucial step.
When the fish entered the anesthetic solution, the lively Topminnows slowly drifted into a delicate, trance-like stillness. For just a few moments, time seemed to pause with them. This peaceful window allowed the team to mark each fish for the next chapter of its life.
One by one, each Topminnow was lifted from the solution. With steady hands and precise movements, a bright green gel tag was injected just beneath the skin on the right side between the dorsal and caudal fins — a tiny, luminous signature that would help biologists track their survival after release.
After tagging, the fish were placed into fresh, aerated water, where bubbles shimmered like tiny stars rising through the tank. Slowly, each Topminnow regained its strength, righted itself, and resumed its quiet, determined swimming. Once fully recovered, each fish returned to its original tank, its small body now carrying a marker of something far larger: a renewed chance at survival.
By 1 p.m., the final fish had been tagged and returned this gave us a total of 21 males and 23 females, but the work — and the story — is far from over.
On the morning of November 4ᵗʰ, these tagged Topminnows will be gathered together into a single transport bag for their journey to Hickory Creek. Some will be returning to waters tied to their ancestral lineage, wild-caught broodstock broodstock
The reproductively mature adults in a population that breed (or spawn) and produce more individuals (offspring or progeny).
Learn more about broodstock heading home for the first time in generations. Others, born and raised entirely in captivity, will feel the wild currents for the very first time. Together, they symbolize resilience, restoration, and a shared belief that species recovery is possible when people care enough to act.
This moment is more than a release. It is a promise — a promise that collaboration, science, and community commitment can rewrite a species’ future.
The Barrens Topminnow’s survival story is still being written, and every person who chooses to care helps strengthen the next chapter.
Join us in protecting the Barrens Topminnow. Share its story, stay informed, and stand with the people working every day to ensure that Tennessee’s native waters remain alive with the species that call them home.
Together, they represent not just a species’ survival, but the dedication of the people determined to protect it. We can help bring this remarkable fish back from the brink — one small, brilliant green tag at a time.
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