Staff from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation reintroduced the Roanoke logperch to Mayo River State Park in early November, kickstarting a joint effort that helps conserve the endangered darter and other aquatic species in the Dan River Basin.
Fingerling logperch, Percina rex, were released at the state park’s Anglin Mill access in Rockingham County. Found only in North Carolina and Virginia and nowhere else in the world, the species has been listed as federally endangered since 1989.
In October, the two state agencies signed an agreement that allows NCWRC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) access to 18 miles of habitat within Mayo River SP to monitor the reintroduced logperch. These efforts are part of a larger landmark agreement between the NCWRC and USFWS, signed in 2022, that allows the Commission to conduct conservation and restoration work of 21 aquatic priority species in North Carolina.
The fingerlings grow to 6-8 inches long, longer than many darters, and earned the nickname “king of the darters.” Lifespan average is 6.5 years