Endangered & Threatened Aquatics

Endangered & Threatened Species Habitat specialists- those that require a specific habitat, and are therefore more likely to go extinct

Strategies to Protect Species Illegal to have, gather, collect whole or parts of any species on list Project plans must be approved for roads, bridges, malls, pipelines, wind farms, developments

Endangered Fish

Threatened Fish

Candidate Fish

Fish in PA 34% of PA fish species are endangered Most in western part of state – Ohio, Allegheny, and Lake Erie tributaries heavily polluted due to industry – French Creek flowed north to St. Lawrence River, but glacial activity reversed it to flow to the Allegheny, isolating some populations

Endangered Amphibians & Reptiles

Threatened Amphibians & Reptiles

Candidate Amphibians & Reptiles

Endangered Invertebrates

Threatened Invertebrates

Clubshell Mussel Status: Endangered Reasons: Silt deposition, Water quality decline, Sedimentation, nutrient and chemical runoff, zebra mussels Biodiversity Impacts: water quality will decline

Dwarf Wedgemussel Status: Endangered Reasons: Silt deposition, Water quality decline, Sedimentation, nutrient and chemical runoff Biodiversity Impacts: water quality will decline

Eastern Pearlshell Status: Endangered Reasons: Mining pollution, habitat loss, sedimentation, alteration of water flow, limited genetic diversity, invasive species (didymo) Biodiversity Impacts: water quality decline, food chain collapse

Northern Riffleshell Mussel Status: Endangered Reasons: Dams and reservoirs flooded habitat, reducing gravel altering presence of fish hosts, and isolating populations; sedimentation; agricultural runoff; zebra mussels Biodiversity Impacts: water quality decline, food web collapse

Atlantic Sturgeon Status: Endangered Reasons: overfishing Biodiversity Impacts: prized for meat and eggs, control invertebrate and small fish populations

Bigmouth Buffalo Status: Endangered Reasons: Industrial discharges, mine drainage, siltation contaminating water Biodiversity Impacts: eats plankton, small invertebrates

Burbot Status: Endangered Reasons: habitat destruction, water quality loss Biodiversity Impacts: Control invertebrate and fish populations

Cisco Status: Endangered Reasons: Industrial discharges, mine drainage, siltation contaminating water Biodiversity Impacts: ?

Hickory Shad Status: Endangered Reasons: Dam building and water pollution Biodiversity Impacts: great fish for anglers

Longear Sunfish Status: Endangered Reasons: habitat destruction Biodiversity Impacts: ?

Spotted Gar Status: Endangered Reasons: Industrial discharges, mine drainage, siltation contaminating water Biodiversity Impacts: ?

Eastern Spadefoot Toad Status: Endangered Reasons: habitat destruction, breeds in unregulated temporary pools, poaching, sporadic and opportunistic breeding is difficult to protect Biodiversity Impacts: feeds on insects

Northern Cricket Frog Status: Endangered Reasons: loss of wetland habitat, poor water quality, only 5% survives winter Biodiversity Impacts: ?

Green Salamander Status: Endangered Reasons: forest fragmentation, require mature trees to regulate microclimate Biodiversity Impacts:

Bog Turtle Status: Endangered Reasons: habitat loss, invasive plants forming dense thickets and eliminating basking and nesting areas, poaching Biodiversity Impacts: indicate good water quality

Eastern Mud Turtle Status: Endangered Reasons: increased predation due to habitat fragmentation Biodiversity Impacts:

Eastern Redbelly Turtle Status: Endangered Reasons: loss of quality habitat, roadkills Biodiversity Impacts:

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Status: Endangered Reasons: Habitat destruction and fragmentation, death from machinery, deliberate killing, black market trade Biodiversity Impacts: rodent control