MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The stippled studfish, a freshwater species found only in Alabama, is “swimming closer to Endangered Species Act protection” according to a release from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Stippled studfish photo by Philip Gentry(Philip Gentry | Philip Gentry)
The Center submitted a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) asking for the protection.
A document from the FWS shows that the fish “presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted,” and the department is now “initiating status reviews of these species to determine whether the petitioned actions are warranted.”
Once the status review is complete, the service will “issue 12-month petition findings, which will address whether or not the petitioned actions are warranted.”
“It’s great news that these dazzling, freckly fish are one step closer to being protected under the Endangered Species Act,” said Meg Townsend, a freshwater attorney at the Center. “Stippled studfish have already completely disappeared from Georgia streams and without strong safeguards the few remaining populations in Alabama could also be lost forever.”
According to the Center, the stippled studfish was once a common sight in the Tallapoosa River system in both Alabama and Georgia, however “decades of development, pollution and worsening drought have reduced the species to just a few isolated streams in Alabama, with no confirmed sightings in Georgia since 1990.”
If the stippled studfish is found to warrant Endangered Species Act Protection it would, among other protections, require protection for critical habitat areas and require a recovery plan to be implemented.
Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!
Copyright 2026 WSFA. All rights reserved.