Gravel chub (Erimystax x-punctatus) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

As early as the 1970s the gravel chub was considered to be endangered in Kansas (Platt 1974) and Wisconsin (Anonymous 1979). Gilbert (1980) reported it as now extirpated from many localities where it was formerly found in the United States. The species has been variously listed as under legal protection in Indiana and Wisconsin, and of special concern in Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota and New York (Becker 1983, Johnson 1985).

The current global, national (United States and Canada), subnational (state) and provincial status for gravel chub are presented in the Technical Summary.

The gravel chub was last re-examined and designated as Extirpated by COSEWIC in May 2000. In Ontario, the provincial rank is Extirpated (OMNR 2007), while the provincial S Rank from NatureServe is SX (Extirpated) [NatureServe 2007]. The general status ranking for the gravel chub is 1 - (Extirpated) for Canada and Ontario (CESCC 2006).

Gravel chub is considered Apparently Secure globally (G4) and nationally in the United States (N4) [NatureServe 2007]. Its subnational status ranges from SX (Extirpated) in Kentucky to S3? (Apparently Vulnerable) in Arkansas. Only Missouri has not assigned a status (NatureServe 2007).

The gravel chub is listed as an Extirpated species under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) [EC 2007]. Besides offering legal protection to the species the Act requires development of recovery strategies. Recovery initiatives have been outlined in the Thames River Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery Strategy (TRRT 2005) and the Recovery Strategy for Gravel Chub (Erimystax x-punctatus) in Canada (Edwards et al. 2007). Recovery teams are in place, but action plans have yet to be developed.

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