A tiny Tennessee fish called the Barrens darter has now wiggled closer to securing protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Pressed by litigation, the Fish and Wildlife Service said it has changed its opinion and determined that the species is endangered. The ESA course reversal will be published Tuesday in the Federal Register.
“The greatest threat to the Barrens darter is competition and hybridization with the fringed darter, which has expanded its range in the Collins River drainage over the past several decades,” FWS reported.
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The agency added that other major threats include habitat loss from degradation of stream banks, deterioration of water quality, and habitat fragmentation and isolation.
