Author: Williams & Burkhead, 2007
FBname: Bridled darter
Comments: Etnier & Starnes (1991) considered the conservation status of <i>Percina kusha</i> to be endangered, like two other <i>Percina</i> species endemic to the upper Coosa River system, <i>P. antesella</i> and <i>P. jenkinsi</i>.  In a review of conservation status of fishes in Georgia, Freeman (1999) assigned a status of rare (a species in need of protection because of its scarcity) to populations in Georgia. Warren et al. (2000) and Freeman et al. (2005) both regarded <i>P. kusha</i> as vulnerable (any taxon that may become endangered or threatened by relatively minor disturbance to its habitat). Based on the authors' sampling and snorkeling observations, <i>P. kusha</i> appears to be a species that naturally occurs in low abundance, at least when compared to sympatric congeners such as <i>P. nigrofasciata</i> and <i>P. palmaris</i>. We do not know, however, what the actual range of the species was prior to European colonization. Its association with slow-flowing habitats suggests <i>P. kusha</i> could have occurred throughout the Conasauga and Etowah rivers, and possibly in the geographically intermediate Coosawattee River, below the gorge now impounded by Carters Dam and Reservoir. Considering its very limited distribution in portions of two small rivers and threats to its habitat from municipal and industrial development and forestry and agriculture activities the authors consider <i>P. kusha</i> to be endangered (Ref. 58738).