Tennessee Valley Authority biologists say they have identified a new fish species.
The Percina apina, or Logperch, was discovered during a water survey in Duck River tributary streams located in middle Tennessee.
DNA testing confirmed the newly identified species, which grows to be four to six inches in length. TVA Spokesperson Scott Fiedler said the fish plays a large role in the regional environment despite its small size.
“It’s a bellwether fish that let’s us know how stream health is and our TVA team goes out, monitors about 700 locations across the valley, and gives scores on health. Fish this like tells us that this river system is doing well,” said Fiedler.
To hunt for food, the fish need silt-free water to flip over pieces of rocky sediment. Their diet includes blackfly, caddisfly, mayfly and stonefly insect larvae found at the bottom of rivers.
