Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: West Virginia
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

West Virginia Project


Assessment of hybridization between candy and variegate darters in the Greenbrier River drainage

April 2005 - December 2006


Personnel

Participating Agencies

  • West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

The candy darter is endemic to the New River drainage, and is hybridizing with the recently introduced variegate darter. This study examined the extent of hybridization between these to species, and documented that genetic swamping is a major conservation concern for the candy darter population in the Greenbrier River drainage.