@article{perkins_devilbiss_whelan_hoch_jones_mays_evans_benfield_2025, title={A new endemic freshwater mussel (Bivalvia, Unionidae) genus and species, Ligodonta obscura, from the Yadkin-Pee Dee River drainage in North Carolina, USA}, url={https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1248.152952}, DOI={10.3897/zookeys.1248.152952}, abstractNote={We describe a new genus and species of freshwater mussel, Ligodonta obscura gen. et sp. nov. , using an integrative taxonomic approach consisting of morphological, genetic, biogeographic, and life history information. Specimens of L. obscura are poorly represented in historic collections and were infrequently collected; additionally, the species was originally overlooked as a unique taxon due in part to its small size and superficial morphologic similarities to Lasmigona subviridis (Conrad, 1835) and Alasmidonta spp. Phylogenetic results place the new species sister to, but consistently distinct from, Alasmidonta s.s. We offer a suite of field-ready diagnostics to differentiate L. obscura from similar and co-occurring species and briefly discuss the species’ unique phylogenetic placement, which warrants the recognition of a new genus. Importantly, L. obscura appears to be a “microendemic” species with a remarkably limited documented range of approximately 13 km within two small, adjacent watersheds of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River drainage. Despite intensive surveys, the extant population is currently known from an approximately 7 km contiguous reach of one stream, making this newly-discovered species a high conservation priority.}, journal={ZooKeys}, author={Perkins, Michael A. and DeVilbiss, Katharine L. and Whelan, Nathan V. and Hoch, Rachael A. and Jones, Brena K. and Mays, Jason W. and Evans, Heather K. and Benfield, Sierra B.}, year={2025}, month={Aug} }
 @article{tracy_rohde_perkins_lee_carlson_mccutcheon_jones_evans_2024, title={A Long-Recognized but Undescribed New Species of Cyprinella (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae) from North Carolina and South Carolina, United States}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.7290/sfcp64ro9n}, DOI={10.7290/sfcp64ro9n}, abstractNote={Cyprinella leptocheilus sp. nov., Siouan Thinlip Chub, is described as a new species that is endemic to Sand Hills and upper Coastal Plain streams in North Carolina and South Carolina. Recognized as an undescribed species since the early 1970s, this fish was known in the literature and in museum electronic databases as Hybopsis n. sp., H. sp. cf. zanema, Cyprinella n. sp., and C. sp. cf. zanema. Unofficially, it had gone by the common name Thinlip Chub. It was thought to be closely related to the two other barbeled Cyprinella species: Thicklip Chub, C. labrosa, and Santee Chub, C. zanema. Cyprinella leptocheilus is geographically, phenotypically, and genetically distinguishable from these two species. Cyprinella leptocheilus is confined to the Sand Hills and Coastal Plain regions of the Carolinas, whereas C. labrosa and C. zanema are more widely distributed in the Piedmont and Eastern Blue Ridge Foothills regions of the Santee River and Yadkin-Pee Dee River basins in the Carolinas and Virginia. Morphological differences detected were associated with the position of the dorsal-fin origin relative to the pelvic-fin origin; male tuberculation patterns and number of tubercles; upper lip thickness; mouth gape width; and the length of the maxillary barbel. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and mitochondrial-nuclear concatenated sequences consistently resolve each species as reciprocally monophyletic. Cyprinella leptocheilus is an evolutionary distinct sister to C. zanema; both are sister to C. labrosa. Within the C. leptocheilus clade, sequences from the Yadkin-Pee Dee River basin form a clade distinct from that of the Cape Fear River basin. These two clades are geographically isolated from one another. Given the divergence between the Cape Fear and Yadkin-Pee Dee River basins clades, it is recommended that these two C. leptocheilus clades receive protection as two evolutionarily significant units.}, journal={Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings}, author={Tracy, Bryn and Rohde, Fred and Perkins, Michael and Lee, Laura and Carlson, Kara and McCutcheon, Madelyn and Jones, Brena and Evans, Heather}, year={2024}, month={Apr} }
 @article{bunch_carlson_hoogakker_plough_evans_2021, title={Atlantic sturgeon ( <i>Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus</i> Mitchill, 1815) early life stage consumption evidenced by high‐throughput DNA sequencing}, volume={37}, url={https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.14153}, DOI={10.1111/jai.14153}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Applied Ichthyology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Bunch, Aaron J. and Carlson, Kara B. and Hoogakker, Frederick J. and Plough, Louis V. and Evans, Heather K.}, year={2021}, month={Jan}, pages={12–19} }
 @article{evans_bunch_schmitt_hoogakker_carlson_2021, title={High‐throughput sequencing outperforms traditional morphological methods in Blue Catfish diet analysis and reveals novel insights into diet ecology}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7460}, DOI={10.1002/ece3.7460}, abstractNote={Abstract Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus are an invasive, yet economically important species in the Chesapeake Bay. However, their impact on the trophic ecology of this system is not well understood. In order to provide in‐depth analysis of predation by Blue Catfish, we identified prey items using high‐throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) of entire gastrointestinal tracts from 134 samples using two genetic markers, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and the nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA gene. We compared our HTS results to a more traditional “hybrid” approach that coupled morphological identification with DNA barcoding. The hybrid study was conducted on additional Blue Catfish samples ( n = 617 stomachs) collected from the same location and season in the previous year. Taxonomic representation with HTS vastly surpassed that achieved with the hybrid methodology in Blue Catfish. Significantly, our HTS study identified several instances of at‐risk and invasive species consumption not identified using the hybrid method, supporting the hypothesis that previous studies using morphological methods may greatly underestimate consumption of critical species. Finally, we report the novel finding that Blue Catfish diet diversity inversely correlates to daily flow rates, perhaps due to higher mobility and prey‐seeking behaviors exhibited during lower flow.}, journal={Ecology and Evolution}, author={Evans, Heather K. and Bunch, Aaron J. and Schmitt, Joseph D. and Hoogakker, Frederick J. and Carlson, Kara B.}, year={2021}, month={Mar} }
 @article{cushman_evans_moyer_raley_williams_darden_2018, title={Development of a Standardized Molecular Tool and Estimation of Genetic Measures for Responsible Aquaculture‐Based Fisheries Enhancement of American Shad in North and South Carolina}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10127}, DOI={10.1002/tafs.10127}, abstractNote={Abstract As pressure from anthropomorphic stressors continues to negatively affect the abundance of wild fish populations, aquaculture‐based fisheries enhancement (i.e., sea ranching, stock enhancement, restocking) is being used increasingly as a management option to augment and restore wild stocks. However, as supplementation with cultured individuals may have unintended impacts on the genetic fitness of a target species, emphasis is placed on scientifically based protocols for fisheries enhancement, which involves continuous observation of genetic measures within and among populations. American Shad Alosa sapidissima , which had once‐abundant spawning runs that experienced major declines throughout the early 20th century, are currently stocked in several rivers in North Carolina and South Carolina. A set of eight microsatellite markers was compiled and standardized to allow for the long‐term monitoring of genetic measures between rivers as hatchery‐based initiatives with multistate collaborators continue. Data sets from multiple spawning runs of American Shad within North and South Carolina compared using this standardized marker suite exhibited relatively high levels of genetic diversity, low inbreeding, and large effective population sizes. Furthermore, although migration is likely occurring between rivers, significant differences exist between some spawning runs. These estimates of genetic diversity and differentiation are comparable with analogous studies of American Shad, which demonstrate that these markers will be valuable for fisheries research, and the novel estimates of effective population size and bottleneck indices acquired in this study supply new information useful for management. Our results, along with future work, can be used for responsible aquaculture‐based fisheries enhancement of American Shad in North and South Carolina and can aid in the recovery efforts for this important species.}, journal={Transactions of the American Fisheries Society}, author={Cushman, Elizabeth L. and Evans, Heather K. and Moyer, Gregory R. and Raley, Morgan E. and Williams, Ashantye S. and Darden, Tanya L.}, year={2018}, month={Nov} }
 @article{evans_carlson_wisser_raley_potoka_dockendorf_2017, title={Genetics and Hatchery Management: A Parentage-based Tagging Approach to Blueback Herring Conservation}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.3996/022017-jfwm-011}, DOI={10.3996/022017-jfwm-011}, abstractNote={Abstract Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis populations throughout the East Coast have declined precipitously since the late 1980s and were listed as a Species of Concern in 2006 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Natural resource agencies are attempting to restore this species to viable and sustainable levels with fry stockings cultured in hatcheries. To evaluate the long-term contribution of stockings to populations, agencies need an accurate method to track these stocking efforts. Genetic parentage-based tagging is recognized as a feasible means of assessing hatchery contribution of stocked fish to rivers of interest. However, Blueback Herring lack a reliable set of genetic markers to conduct parentage-based tagging. To this end, we analyzed previously described microsatellites as well as new microsatellite markers identified through NextGeneration sequencing to create a suite of 14 Blueback Herring markers useful for parentage-based tagging. The markers were successful in parentage analysis for Blueback Herring collected from the Chowan River, North Carolina. An additional challenge in the management of Blueback Herring is the ability to phenotypically distinguish Blueback Herring from the closely related Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Furthermore, recent studies provide evidence that these two species, collectively referred to as river herring, may be hybridizing with one another in some systems. Microsatellite marker AsaC334 can be utilized to discriminate between the two species, as well as to identify their F1 hybrids, thereby providing another genetic tool for hatchery management.}, journal={Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management}, author={Evans, Heather K. and Carlson, Kara B. and Wisser, Russ and Raley, Morgan E. and Potoka, Katy M. and Dockendorf, Kevin J.}, year={2017}, month={Oct} }