Fishes Research

MMNS Ichthyology Research

Ichthyology research at MMNS focuses primarily on the status and general ecology of the fishes found within Mississippi. Information on these basic elements provides the necessary framework to direct conservation strategies and assist with management decisions.

Much of our research is directed towards baseline sampling and general survey work. Species specific research projects are often dictated from the results of previous baseline studies, which note the need for additional information on the species or a lack of recent data for a species of greatest conservation need.

Research activities are conducted by MMNS Staff or guided collaboratively with personnel from other state and federal agencies. Material stemming from MMNS based-research is integrated within the MMNS Ichthyology Collection.

Contact: Robert Ellwanger at Robert.ellwanger@mmns.ms.gov

Research Information

Current/Recent Research

2025: Survey for Alabama Shad in Mississippi
2024: Survey for Piebald Madtom in the Big Black River
2023: Survey of the Tennessee River drainage in Mississippi
2022: Survey for Bluenose Shiner in Mississippi
2021:Range Gap Survey for the Peal Darter, Percina aurora, in the Chickasawhay River system
2021: Assessing Saltmarsh Topminnow, Fundulus jenkinsi, populations along coastal Mississippi utilizing boat electrofishing
2020: Status and distribution of the Bandfin Darter, Etheostoma zonistium, in Northern Mississippi
2020: Status and distribution of the Ironcolor Shiner, Notropis chalybaeus, in Coastal Mississippi
2019: Assessing the Utility of Benthic Trawls for Collecting Pearl Darter, Percina aurora
2019: Status and distribution of the Frecklebelly Madtom, Noturus munitus, in the Tombigbee River drainage in Mississippi
2018: Status and distribution of the Frecklebelly Madtom, Noturus munitus, in the Pearl River drainage in Mississippi
2018: Status and distribution of the Piebald Madtom, Noturus gladiator, in Mississippi

Recent Publications or Technical Reports

Ellwanger, R.J. and M.D. Wagner. 2024. Survey for Piebald madtom (Noturus gladiator) in the Big Black River, Mississippi. Funded by USFWS State Wildlife Grant. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. Museum Technical report 246: 15 pp.

Ellwanger, R.J., Rezac, C.R., Creely, J.C., Humphries, M.L., Hurst, I.N., and C.P. Flaherty. 2024. SURVEY OF FISH COMMUNITIES WITHIN TENNESSEE RIVER TRIBUTARIES IN MISSISSIPPI. Funded by USFWS, State Wildlife Grant. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. Museum Technical report 221: 47 pp.

Rezac C.R., Ellwanger R.J., Duplessis M.A., Winslow J.R., Shake A.J., Flaherty C.P., and D.A. Schumann. 2023. Using Detection, and Occupancy Modeling to assess the Status of Bluenose Shiner (Pteronotropis welaka) in Mississippi and Louisiana. Funded by USFWS, State Wildlife Grant. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. Technical report 220: 89 pp.

Ellwanger R.J., and C.R. Rezac. SURVEY FOR BANDFIN DARTER IN TRIBUTARIES OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, MISSISSIPPI. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. Museum Technical report 218: 14 pp.

Ellwanger RJ, Rezac CR, and BH Chaffins. 2021. RANGE GAP SURVEY FOR PEARL DARTER (PERCINA AURORA) IN THE CHICKASAWHAY RIVER SYSTEM IN MISSISSIPPI. MMNS Technical Report 215. Funded by USFWS, Section 6.

Wagner MD, Ellwanger RJ, Hurst IN, and MJ Ziegelbauer. 2020. STATUS SURVEY FOR NOTROPIS CHALYBAEUS IN COASTAL MISSISSIPPI. MMNS Technical Report 213. Funded by USFWS, State Wildlife Grant.

Wagner MD, Schumann DA, Smith BJ. 2019. Gear effectiveness and size selectivity for five cryptic madtom species (Noturus spp.). Journal of Applied Ichthyology 2019; 00:1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13892

Wagner MD, Daun N, Hood N, Tomlin W, Duplessis M. 2018. Status survey for Frecklebelly Madtom (Noturus munitus) in the Pearl River drainage. MMNS Technical Report 201. Funded by USFWS, State Wildlife Grant.

Wagner MD, Schumann DA. 2017. Piebald Madtom Status Survey and Evaluation of Multiple Gears for Piebald Madtom (Noturus gladiator). MMNS Technical Report 193. Funded by USFWS, Section 6.

Wagner MD, Clark SR, Schaefer JF, Piller KR. 2017. Status survey for the Pearl darter in the state of Mississippi. MMNS Technical Report 192. Funded by USFWS, Section 6.