Curator of Fishes & Director of Research Lab

Wayne.Starnes@ncdenr.gov
919.733.7450 x760

Ph.D. (Ecology) U. of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1977
M.S. (Zoology) U. of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1973
B.S. (Business Admin.) U. of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1969  

Research Interests

Dr. Starnes’ current research focuses on several areas including discovery and documentation of the true extent of the diversity and biology of freshwater fishes of North Carolina and the surrounding region, studies on selected marine fish groups of world-wide distribution, and continued work with Neotropical fishes begun in prior years at the Smithsonian Institution. Investigations of regional freshwater taxa are conducted via correlated molecular and morphological approaches which hopefully reveal both finer patterns of diversity and variation that are useful for purposes of conservation management and patterns of relationships among taxa that facilitate studies of the biogeographic history of the region. A great deal of effort is directed toward the accurate identification, cataloging, and databasing of regional fishes in the NCSM collection of fishes which will hopefully lay a firm foundation for a future comprehensive reference book on the fishes of North Carolina. Dr. Starnes holds adjunct faculty appointments to the Department of Zoology and to the College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, and at Clemson University, and advises and works collaboratively with graduate students and faculty at these institutions as well as regional agency biologists to conduct research on fishes.

In addition to research on fishes, curation and Research Lab administration, Dr. Starnes has worked extensively with the research and development of the Museum’s exhibits, including the entire Coastal North Carolina gallery and aquatic portions of all other galleries. He and the Fishes Unit are extensively consulted with by regional resource managers on matters pertaining to the conservation of fishes and their habitats and frequently advise the education and exhibits sections of the Museum in their efforts to apprise the public of our rich aquatic heritage and the needs to conserve it.

Recent Publications

Hogue, Gabriela M., W.C. Starnes, and J.A. Raine.  2007.  From the ledger to the web: improving the functionality of the collections of the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences to respond to the rapidly changing needs of conservation planners.  Abstract and Poster, Southeastern Fishes Council Annual Meeting, Chattanooga, TN.

Starnes, W.C.,  M.E. Raley, and R.E. Jenkins.  2007.  Current knowledge of the distributional status and genetic relationships (based on Cytochrome-b and S7 intron sequences) of the rare "Carolina Redhorse", Moxostoma sp.  Abstract and Poster, 2007 Joint Meeting of American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Starnes, W.C., and Scientific Council on Fishes.  2007. Fishes, pp. 65-96, in: Invasive and exotic wildlife in North Carolina.  North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh. 148 pp.

Starnes, W.C.  2007. Regional report, Region I--Northeast.  Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council 49:16-21.

Starnes, W.C.  2007. Book review:  Reproductive biology and early life history of fishes in the Ohio River drainage, Vol. 5.  Journal of Integrative and Comparative Biology 47:795-798.

2006. Priacanthidae, bigeyes. in Carpenter, K.E. (Ed.) The living marine resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic, Vol. 3. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome. In press.

Raley, M.E., W.C. Starnes, and G.M. Hogue and H.W. Robison. 2005. Evidence of extensive mitochondrial introgression in the Redfin Shiner, Lythrurus umbratilis.  Abstract for the 85th meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Tampa, FL.

Starnes, W.C., and G.M. Hogue.  2005. Investigations into potential fish hosts for the Carolina Heelsplitter Mussel (Lasmigona decorata).  Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Asheville. 29 pp. + appendices.

Starnes, W.C., R.E. Jenkins, and M.E. Raley.  2005.  Results of distributional surveys and preliminary genetic investigations for the Carolina Redhorse (Moxostoma sp.)—2nd interim report.  Report to Progress Energy Corporation, Raleigh, NC.  15 pp. + appendices.

Starnes, W.C., and Scientific Council on Fishes.  2005.  Revised status recommendations for jeopardized fish species in North Carolina.  Report to Nongame Advisory Committee of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.  26 pp.

Starnes, W.C.  2005.  Regional report, Region I--Northeast.  Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council 48:9-14.

Raley, M.E., W.C. Starnes, and R.E. Jenkins. 2004.  Distributional surveying and preliminary genetic investigation for the Carolina Redhorse (Moxostoma sp.). Abstracts, Conservation Genetics Workshop on Imperiled Freshwater Fishes and Mussels, Freshwater Mollusk Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shephardstown, WV.  P. 84.

Raley, M.E., W.C. Starnes, G.M. Hogue. 2004. Genetics of Lythrurus umbratilis in the upper Ouachita River system, Arkansas, with emphasis on a novel form.  Abstract for the 84th meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Norman, OK.

Starnes, W.C.  2004.  Results of distributional surveys and preliminary genetic investigations for the Carolina Redhorse (Moxostoma sp.)--an interim report. Submitted to Progress Energy Corporation, New Hill, NC. 12 pp. + appendices.

Starnes, W.C., M.E. Raley, J.U. Crutchfield, V. Stancil, J.M. Swing, G.M. Hogue, and R.E. Jenkins.  2004.  The “Carolina Redhorse” (Moxostoma sp.) History of discovery, knowledge of distribution, and preliminary findings of genetic Investigations.  Abstracts, Annual Meeting North Carolina Chapter American Fisheries Society Meeting, Asheville.

Starnes, W.C., and M. Scott.  2004.  Regional report, Region I—Northeast.  Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council 47:4-7.

Starnes, W.C.  2003.  Regional report, Region I--Northeast.  Proceedings of the Southeastern Fishes Council  45:12-14.

Starnes, W.C.  2002.  Priacanthidae, pp. 1379-1385 in K.E. Carpenter, ed., The living resources of the Western Central Atlantic, Vol. 3.  Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

Starnes, W.C.  2002.  Current diversity, historical analysis, and biotic integrity of fishes in the lower Potomac basin in the vicinity of Plummers Island, Maryland—Contributions to the natural history of Plummers Island, Maryland XVII.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 115:273-320.

Nelson, J.S., W.C. Starnes, and M.L. Warren.  2002.  A capital case for common names of species of fishes—a white crappie or a White Crappie.  Fisheries 27(7):31-33.

Starnes, W.C., G.M. Hogue, and M.E. Raley.  2002.  Investigations into potential fish hosts for the endangered Carolina Heelsplitter mussel (Lasmigona decorata), interim progress report.   Submitted to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Asheville, NC.   11 pp. + appendices.

Cantrell, M. A., C. Goudreau, D. Hill, W.C. Starnes et al.  2002. Target fish assemblages for aquatic restoration: an example from the lower Little Tennessee River.  Abstract, Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting.   p. 45.  

Warren, M.L., W.C. Starnes, et al.  2000. Diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States.  Fisheries 25:7-29.

Starnes, W.C.  2000.  Priacanthidae, pp. 2590-2601 in: K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem, eds., The living resources of the Western Central Pacific, Vol. 4.   Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

Starnes, W.C., A.E. Bogan, W. Gotch. 2000. The North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences Hierarchical Drainage Database (complete hierarchical drainage data base for much of North America, including all of U.S., plus framework for rest of world).

Tyus, H.M., W.C. Starnes, C.A. Karp, and J. F. Saunders III. 1999.  Effects of invasive tissue collection on rainbow trout, razorback sucker, and bonytail chub.  North American Journal of Fisheries Management 19:848-855.

Starnes, W.C.  1998. Fishes, in: ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System), web site (http://www.it is.usda.gov) (principal author and steward, along w/ B.B. Collette of NMFS Systematics Lab, a growing nomenclatural reference of thousands of fish names).  

Starnes, W.C., R.T. Bryant, and G.C. Greer.  1998.  Perilous experiment, the Asian Rice Eel in Georgia.  Georgia Wildlife 7: 60-70.

Selected Past Publications

1995. Colorado River Basin fishes. Pp. 149–152 in LaRoe, E.T. (Ed.) Our living resources: a report to the nation on the distribution, abundance, and health of U.S. plants, animals, and ecosystems. U.S. Department of Interior National Biological Service, Washington, D.C.

1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 689 pp. (D.A. Etnier, first author)

1993. Comments of the genus Apareiodon Eigenmann (Characiformes: Parodontidae) with the description of a new species from the Gran Sabana region of eastern Venezuela. Copeia. (3):754–762. (with I. Schindler)

1990. A new genus and species of Sarcoglanidinae from the Rio Mamore, Amazon Basin, with comments on subfamilial phylogeny (Teleostei, Trichomyteridae). Journal of Zoology, London. 222:775–788 (M.C.C. de Pinna, first author)

1988. Revision, phylogeny, and biogeographical comments on the circumtropical marine percoid family Priacanthidae. Bulletin of Marine Science. 43(2):117–203.

1988. A new cyprinid fish of the genus Phoxinus (Pisces: Cypriniformes) from the Tennessee River drainage with comments on relationships and biogeography. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 101(3):517–529. (with R.E. Jenkins)

1986. Drainage evolution and fish biogeography of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers drainage realm. Chapter 10, pp. 325–361 in Hocutt, C.H., and E.O. Wiley (Eds.) The zoogeography of North American freshwater fishes. Wiley-Interscience, New York. (with D.A. Etnier)

1985.    Ecology and life history of the Mountain Madtom, Noturus eleutherus (Pisces: Ictaluridae). American Midland Naturalist. 114(2):331–341. (L.B. Starnes, first author)