page_title: Carolina madtom
section_title: Conservation challenges
hierarchical_section_title: Carolina madtom / Conservation challenges
caption_attribution_description: English: For breeding and sheltering, the Carolina Madtom requires cover for nest sites – this cover can be from cans, bottles, mussel shells, boards, flat rocks, logs, and even tires. Cryptic coloration help this small fish avoid predators. A unique color pattern of yellow, black and tan blotches allow this fish to blend with the rocks and sand on the river bottom. This adaptation increases the madtom's chance of survival by hiding it from predators, a necessary attribute when you are small.
context_page_description: The Carolina madtom is a species of fish in the family Ictaluridae. It is endemic to North Carolina. It is a small catfish, reaching a maximum length of nearly five inches. Described in the late-1800s by ichthyologists Jordan and Meek, this fish is the only madtom that is endemic to North Carolina, as indicated by its common name.
context_section_description: The Carolina Madtom faces a variety of threats from declines in water quality, loss of stream flow, riparian and instream fragmentation, deterioration of instream habitats, and expansion of the invasive predator Flathead catfish. These threats are expected to be exacerbated by urbanization and climate change.
caption: A hiding madtom
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