Elassoma alabamae
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_pygmy_sunfish
Overview
The spring pygmy sunfish, Elassoma alabamae, is a species of pygmy sunfish endemic to springs in northern Alabama. It was historically known to occur in springs in North Alabama along the Tennessee River in Limestone and Lauderdale counties. The spring pygmy sunfish was first discovered in Cave Spring in Lauderdale County, Alabama in 1937 but in 1938, this site was flooded by the creation of the Pickwick Reservoir.
The spring pygmy sunfish was considered extinct until its rediscovery in the Beaverdam Spring complex in 1973 by researchers from the University of Tennessee.
The Alabama pygmy sunfish faces severe threats from habitat degradation and water quality decline in its extremely limited range. Agricultural runoff, urban development, and sedimentation have significantly impacted the clear, vegetated waters this species requires. Climate change-induced droughts and altered precipitation patterns further stress the already fragmented aquatic systems where this endemic fish persists.
Habitat
The Alabama pygmy sunfish inhabits clear, slow-moving or still waters with dense aquatic vegetation, including springs, spring runs, and vegetated pools of small streams. This species requires high water quality and abundant submerged plants that provide both shelter and foraging opportunities in its native Alabama river systems.
