Moxostoma rupiscartes

Smith (1992) used S. rupiscartes as the name for this species. Scartomyzon was for many years regarded as a subgenus of the genus Moxostoma. Smith (1992) raised Scartomyzon to full genus status. Harris and Mayden (2001) used molecular data to examine phylogenetic relationships of major clades of Catostomidae. In all trees, Scartomyzon was paraphyletic and embedded in Moxostoma, and Catostomus was never recovered as monophyletic (Xyrauchen was embedded within Catostomus). They concluded that the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic composition of taxa presently included in Moxostoma and Scartomyzon are in need of further study, as are the relationships and composition of the genera Catostomus, Chasmistes, Deltistes, and Xyrauchen, and the phylogenetic affinites of Erimyzon and Minytrema. Based on molecular data, Harris et al. (2002) recommended that Scartomyzon be subsumed into Moxostoma. Nelson et al. (2004) concurred and included in the genus Moxostoma all species that Smith (1992) had assigned to the genus Scartomyzon.

This species "shows considerable structural and color variation, particularly separating Santee and Savannah populations from those of Altamaha and Apalachicola (Robins and Ray 1956). Buth (1979) found species level biochemical differences between these groups" (Jenkins, in Lee et al. 1980).

Widespread in Blue Ridge and Piedmont from Santee River drainage, North Carolina, to Altamaha River drainage, Georgia; Gulf slope in upper Chattahoochee River drainage, Georgia; recently discovered (possibly introduced) in extreme upper Peedee River drainage, North Carolina; absent on Coastal Plain (Page and Burr 1991).

Lee et al. (1980) mapped 115 collection sites.

Localized threats may exist, but on a range-wide scale no major threats are known.