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The sicklefin redhorse was first discovered by science in 1992 and only occurs in the western corner of North Carolina. It’s a candidate for listing on the federal endangered species list. The Service has teamed with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, and Conservation Fisheries, Inc. in an effort to boost wild populations, and hopefully preclude the need to add the fish to the endangered species list.

These efforts have included the collection and fertilization of eggs, which are then raised in captivity, where they enjoy a higher survival rate. On this April, 2013 day, state and federal biologists worked the Tuckasegee and Little Tennessee Rivers. Though female fish weren’t ready to release their eggs, biologists still took the opportunity to collect tissue samples from the rare fish and inject them with an identifying tag, the same as microchipping pet. This enables biologists to identify previously caught fish simply by passing a scanner over their body, providing insight into the fish’s movements.