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Noturus exilis

Nelson, 1876

Slender Madtom

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.102496
Element CodeAFCKA02250
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderSiluriformes
FamilyIctaluridae
GenusNoturus
Synonyms
Schilbeodes exilis(Nelson, 1876)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
See Grady and LeGrande (1992) for a study of phylogenetic relationships, modes of speciation, and historical biogeography of Noturus madtom catfishes. See Lundberg (1992) for a synthesis of recent work on the systematic relationships of ictalurid catfishes.
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-09-19
Change Date1996-09-19
Range Extent Comments
Green, Cumberland, and Tennessee river drainages, central Kentucky to northern Alabama; upper Mississippi River basin from southern Wisconsin and southern Minnesota to Ozark and Ouachita highlands of Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma; common (Page and Burr 1991).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Uses a wide range of depths and current velocities in various riverine macrohabitats (Banks and DiStefano 2002); riffles of creeks and small rivers in moderate to fast current; also in rocky pools with current strong enough to keep bottom free of silt and in deep leaf-litter of calm pools with clear cool water. Can be numerous in aquatic vegetation. Rarely in springs and rarely along wave-swept margins of large impoundments (Page and Burr 1991). Eggs are laid under rocks in pools and raceways (Burr and Mayden 1984).

Reproduction

Spawns in spring, also may spawn later (July-August). Some females may spawn in 1st summer (Vives 1987). Male guards eggs.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IowaS3Yes
TennesseeS4Yes
KansasS4Yes
ArkansasS4Yes
MissouriSNRYes
WisconsinS1Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
IllinoisS3Yes
MinnesotaS1Yes
KentuckyS1Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
Roadless Areas (3)
Arkansas (3)
AreaForestAcres
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
PenhookOzark-St. Francis National Forest6,566
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
References (27)
  1. Banks, S. M., and R. J. DiStefano. 2002. Diurnal habitat associations of the madtoms <i>Noturus albater, N. exilis, N. flavater</i>, and <i>N. flavus</i> in Missouri Ozarks streams. American Midland Naturalist 148:138-145.
  2. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
  3. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  4. Burr, B. M., and M. L. Warren, Jr. 1986a. Distributional atlas of Kentucky fishes. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Scientific and Technical Series No. 4, Frankfort, Kentucky. 398 pp.
  5. Burr, B. M., and R. L. Mayden. 1984. Reproductive biology of the checkered madtom (<i>Noturus flavater</i>) with observations on nesting in the Ozark (<i>N. albater</i>) and slender (<i>N. exilis</i>) madtoms (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae). American Midland Naturalist 112:408-414.
  6. Cross, F. B., and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas. Second Edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. xvii + 315 pp.
  7. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  8. Grady, J. M., and W. H. LeGrande. 1992. Phylogenetic relationships, modes of speciation, and historical biogeography of the madtom catfishes, genus <i>Noturus </i>Rafinesque (Siluriformes: Ictaluridae). Pages 747-777 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  9. Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.
  10. Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
  11. Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  12. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  13. Lundberg, J. G. 1992. The phylogeny of ictalurid catfishes: a synthesis of recent work. Pages 392-420 in R.L. Mayden, editor. Systematics, historical ecology, and North American freshwater fishes. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California. xxvi + 969 pp.
  14. Mettee, M. F., P. E. O'Neil, and J. M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama. 820 pp.
  15. Mirarchi, R.E., J.T. Garner, M.F. Mettee, and P.E. O'Neil. 2004b. Alabama wildlife. Volume 2. Imperiled aquatic mollusks and fishes. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. xii + 255 pp.
  16. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  17. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  18. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  19. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  20. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  21. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  22. Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
  23. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  24. Ross, S. T., and W. M. Brenneman. 1991. Distribution of freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. D-J Project Completion Report F-69. Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Parks. Jackson, Mississippi. 548 pp.
  25. Smith, P. W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
  26. Taylor, W.R. 1969. A revision of the catfish genus <i>Noturus</i> (Rafinesque) with an analysis of higher groups in the Ictaluridae. Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Museum Bulletin 282. 315 pp.
  27. Vives, S. P. 1987. Aspects of the life history of the slender madtom <i>Noturus exilis</i> in northeastern Oklahoma (Pisces: Ictaluridae). American Midland Naturalist 117:167-176.