Appendix IV: Prioritized Candidate List April 2003

Prioritized Candidate List

November 20, 2003

Brief Overview

COSEWIC candidate species are those that are suspected of being in some COSEWIC category of risk of extinction or extirpation at the national level, before being examined through the status assessment process. Candidate species are drawn from numerous sources including the General Status of Wild Species in Canada, the Association for Biodiversity Information (ABI) ranking system, jurisdictional monitoring, various international assessment processes (including the IUCN Red List), input from COSEWIC Species Specialist Subcommittees (SSCs), and the expert knowledge and judgment of SSC Co-chairs.

The candidate list has been ranked into three priority groups by the SSCs to reflect the relative urgency with which each species should receive a COSEWIC assessment. Group 1 contains species of highest priority for assessment by COSEWIC, and includes species that are suspected to be extirpated from Canada. Groups 2 and 3 contain species that are of intermediate and lower priority for COSEWIC assessment, respectively.

Justifications and rationales for priority group designations differ among the taxonomic groups considered by COSEWIC, reflecting the vast differences in their life history, and what is known about them. For the freshwater fish candidate species, provinces or territories marked with ^† are those where the species is especially at risk.

As time and resources allow, COSEWIC will commission status reports for candidate species so that an assessment can be undertaken. A Call for Bids to prepare status reports, is periodically posted on the COSEWIC web site, both for selected candidate species and also for designated species that require reassessment.

Taxonomic Groups
Marine Fishes	Lepidopterans
Freshwater Fishes	Molluscs
Marine Mammals	Vascular Plants
Terrestrial Mammals	Mosses
Birds	Lichens
Amphibians

Species name	Common name	Range in Canada
Marine Fishes
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
Amblyraja radiata	Thorny skate	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Ammodytes dubius	Northern sand lance	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Apristurus brunneus	Brown cat shark	Pacific Ocean
Apristurus profundorum	Deep-sea catshark	Atlantic Ocean
Bathyraja interrupta	Sandpaper (black) skate	Pacific Ocean
Carcharodon carcharias	White shark	Pacific and Atlantic Oceans
Cetorhinus maximus	Basking shark	Atlantic Ocean
Conger oceanicus	Conger eel	Atlantic Ocean
Cottunculus thompsoni	Pallid sculpin	Atlantic Ocean
Dipturus binoculata	Big skate	Pacific Ocean
Galeorhinus tricuspis	Soupfin shark	Pacific Ocean
Gymnacanthus tricuspis	Arctic staghorn sculpin	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Helicolenus dactylopterus	Blackbelly rosefish	Atlantic Ocean
Hemitripterus americanus	Sea raven	Atlantic Ocean
Hexanchus griseus	Sixgill shark	Pacific Ocean
Hippoglossoides platessoides	American plaice	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Hippoglossus hippoglossus	Atlantic halibut	Atlantic Ocean
Icelinus fimbriatus	Fringed sculpin	Pacific Ocean
Lepophidium profundorum	Fawn cusk-eel	Atlantic Ocean
Lycenchelys verrillii	Wolf eelpout	Atlantic Ocean
Lycodes reticulatus	Arctic eelpout	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Lycodes vahli	Checker eelpout	Atlantic Ocean
Malacocottus kincaidi	Blackfin sculpin	Pacific Ocean
Malacoraja senta	Smooth skate	Atlantic Ocean
Melanogrammus aeglefinus	Haddock	Atlantic Ocean
Merluccius bilinearis	Silver hake	Atlantic Ocean
Myoxocephalus scorpiodes	Arctic sculpin	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Nautichthys robustus	Shortmast sculpin	Pacific Ocean
Notacanthus chemnitzi	Large-scale tapirfish	Atlantic Ocean
Osmerus mordax (northern BC population)	Rainbow smelt (northern BC population)	Pacific Ocean
Pollachius virens	Pollack	Atlantic Ocean
Sebastes marinus	Golden redfish	Atlantic Ocean
Sebastes polyspinis	Northern rockfish	Pacific Ocean
Ulvaria subbifurcata	Radiated shanny	Atlantic Ocean
Urophycis tenuis	White hake	Atlantic Ocean

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
Amblyraja jenseni	Shorttail skate	Atlantic Ocean
Bathyraja abyssicola	Deepsea skate	Pacific Ocean
Bathyraja aleutica	Aleutian skate
Bathyraja richardsoni	Deepwater skate	Atlantic Ocean
Bathyraja trachura	Roughtail skate	Pacific Ocean
Centroscymnus coelolepis	Portuguese shark	Atlantic Ocean
Leucoraja erinacea	Little skate	Atlantic Ocean
Leucoraja garmani	Rosette skate
Lipariscus nanus	Pygmy snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Lophius americanus	Goosefish	Atlantic Ocean
Lycodapus mandibularis	Pallid eelpout	Pacific Ocean
Lycodes diapterus	Black eelpout	Pacific Ocean
Lycodes esmarki	Esmark's eelpout	Atlantic Ocean
Lycodes pallidus	Pale eelpout	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Malacoraja spinacidermis	Soft skate	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus	Longhorn sculpin	Atlantic Ocean
Myxine glutinosa	Atlantic hagfish	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Nectoliparis pelagicus	Tadpole snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Peristedion miniatum	Armored searobin	Atlantic Ocean
Pleuronectes bilineatus	Rock sole	Pacific Ocean
Pleuronectes ferrugineus	Yellowtail flounder	Atlantic Ocean
Rajella bigelowi	Chocolate skate	Atlantic Ocean
Rajella fyllae	Round skate	Atlantic Ocean
Sebastes mentella	Deepwater redfish	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Spirinchus thaleichthys	Longfin smelt	Pacific Ocean
Synaphobranchus kaupi	Northern cutthroat eel	Atlantic Ocean
Trachyrhynchus murrayi	Roughnose grenadier	Atlantic Ocean
Triglops murrayi	Moustache sculpin	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Urophycis regia	Spotted hake	Atlantic Ocean

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
Agonomalus mozinoi	Kelp poacher	Pacific Ocean
Allosmerus elongatus	Whitebait smelt	Pacific Ocean
Bryozoichthys marjorius	Pearly prickleback	Pacific Ocean
Careproctus oregonensis	Smallfin snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Centropristus striata	Black sea bass	Atlantic Ocean
Centroscyllium fabricii	Black dogfish	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Cryptacanthodes maculatus	Wrymouth	Atlantic Ocean
Cyclopterus lumpus	Lumpfish	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Gadus ogac	Greenland cod	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Gibbonsia metzi	Striped kelpfish	Pacific Ocean
Glyptocephalus cynoglossus	Witch flounder	Atlantic Ocean
Hyperprosopon argenteum	Walleye surfperch	Pacific Ocean
Icelus spiniger	Thorny sculpin	Pacific Ocean
Lumpenus maculatus	Daubed shanny	Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans
Myoxocephalus scorpius	Shorthorn sculpin	Arctic and Atlantic Oceans
Nezumia bairdi	Marlin-spike	Atlantic Ocean
Osteodiscus cascadiae	Bigtailed snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Paralichthys dentatus	Summer flounder	Atlantic Ocean
Paralichthys oblongus	Fourspot flounder	Atlantic Ocean
Paraliparis cephalus	Swellhead snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Paraliparis latifrons	Bigpored snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Phanerodon furcatus	White seaperch	Pacific Ocean
Plectobranchus evides	Bluebarred prickleback	Pacific Ocean
Radulinus boleoides	Darter sculpin	Pacific Ocean
Raja eglanteria	Clearnose skate
Reinhardtius hippoglossoides	Greenland halibut	Pacific, Arctic, and Atlantic Oceans
Rhinoliparis attenuatus	Slim snailfish	Pacific Ocean
Scophthalmus aquosus	Windowpane	Atlantic Ocean
Simenchelys parasiticus	Slime eel	Atlantic Ocean
Trachurus lathami	Rough scad	Atlantic Ocean
Urophycis chuss	Red hake	Atlantic Ocean

Freshwater Fishes
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
Coregonus sp.	Opeongo whitefish	ON
Prosopium sp.	Giant Pygmy whitefish	BC
Thymallus arcticus	Arctic grayling (Williston watershed populations)	BC

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
Ameiurus natilis	Yellow Bullhead	ON QC^†
Anguilla rostrata	American Eel	ON^† QC^† NB NS PE NF
Coregonus artedi	Cisco (Lake Herring) (BC population)	BC
Coregonus autumnalis	Arctic Cisco	YT NT^† NU^†
Coregonus sardinella	Least Cisco	YT NT^† NU^† BC^†
Cottus bairdi hubbsi	Mottled Sculpin (Flathead population)	BC
Esox masquinongy	Muskellunge	MB^† ON QC
Etheostoma caeruleum	Rainbow Darter	ON QC^†
Hybognathus hankinsoni	Brassy Minnow	BC^† AB SK^† MB ON QC^†
Ichthyomyzon unicuspis	Silver Lamprey	MB^† ON^† QC
Lampetra appendix	American Brook Lamprey	ON^† QC
Morone americana	White Perch	ON QC^† NB NS PE
Osmerus sp	Pygmy Smelt (Quebec population	QC
Phoxinus eos	Northern Redbelly Dace	NT BC AB^† SK MB ON QC NB NS PE^†
Prosopium coulteri	Pygmy Whitefish (western population)	YT BC AB^†
Prosopium coulteri	Pygmy Whitefish (eastern population)	ON^†
Ptychocheilus oregonensis	Northern Pikeminnow	BC AB^†
Salvelinus confluentus	Bull Trout (includes a coastal form, an interior form and a third form found in YT and NT)	YT NT BC AB
Salvelinus malma	Dolly Varden (southern form)	BC^†
Salvelinus malma	Dolly Varden (northern form)	YT NT^† NU
Thymallus arcticus	Arctic Grayling (includes Beringian, Nahanni, and Missouri forms)	YT NT^† NU^†BC AB^†SK MB

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
Catostomus macrocheilus	Largescale Sucker	BC AB^†
Coregonus nasus	Broad Whitefish	YT NT NU BC^†
Fundulus heteroclitus	Mummichog	QC NF^† NB NS PE
Hiodon alosoides	Goldeye (Eastern populations)	ONQC
Notropis atherinoides	Emerald shiner	NT BC^† AB SK MB ON QC
Notropis blennius	River Shiner	AB SK MB^†
Notropis hudsonius	Spottail Shiner	NT BC^† AB SK MB ON QC
Noturus flavus	Stonecat	AB SK^† MB ON QC^†
Salvelinus namaycush	Lake Trout	YT^† NT NU BC AB^† SK MB ON QC NB^† NS^†NF

Marine Mammals
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Terrestrial Mammals
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
Eutamias ruficaudus	Red-tailed chipmunk	BC AB
Perognathus fasciatus	Olive-backed pocket mouse	AB SK MB
Perognathus parvus	Great basin pocket mouse	BC
Plecotus townsendii	Townsend's big-eared bat	BC

Reptiles
No candidates currently listed

Birds
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
Aegolius acadicus brooksi	Queen Charlotte Island Northern Saw-whet Owl (brooksi subspecies)	BC
Calcarius mccowni	McCown's Longspur	AB SK
Phalacrocorax auritus albociliatus	Double-crested Cormorant (albociliatus subspecies)	BC
Sphyrapicus thyroideus	Williamson's Sapsucker	BC

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
Glaucidium gnoma swarthi	Northern Pygmy-Owl (swarthi subspecies)	BC
Phalacrocorax penicillatus	Brandt's Cormorant	BC
Pinicola enucleator carlottae	Pine Grosbeak (carlottae subspecies)	BC
Spizella breweri breweri	Brewer’s Sparrow (breweri subspecies)	BC AB SK
Uria aalge inornata	Common Murre (inornata subspecies)	BC
Uria lomvia arra	Thick-billed Murre (arra subspecies)	YT BC

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Amphibians
No candidates currently listed

Lepidopterans
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
Euphydryas editha hutchinsi	Edith’s Checkerspot, hutchinsi subspecies	SK
Hemileuca neaidensis	Nevada Buck-moth	SK MB
Hemileuca sp.	Bogbean Buck-moth	ON
Hemileuca nuttallii	Saturnid Moth	BC
Phyciodes batesii batesii	Tawny Crescent (batesii subsp. or population)	ON QC
Speyeria mormonia erinna		BC
Staphylus hayhurstii	Hayhurst’s Scallopwing	ON

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
Callophrys mossii mossii	Moss’s elfin	BC
Erynnis propertius	Propertius duskywing	BC
Icarica icarioides blackmorei	Blackmore’s blue	BC
Loranthomitoura johnsoni		BC
Papilio machaon pikei	Old world swallowtail	BC AB
Chlosyne hoffmanni	Hoffmann’s Checkerspot	BC
Molluscs
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
Alasmidonta viridis	Slippershell mussel	ON
Cyclonais tuberculata	Purple warty-back	ON
Fisherola (Lanx) nuttalli	Greater-Columbia River limpet	BC
Helisoma corpulenta corpulenta	Capacious Manitoba ramshorn	MB
Helisoma corpulenta whiteavesi	Whiteave's capacious ramshorn	MB
Lithoglyphus (Fluminicola) virens	Giant Columbia R. spire snail	BC
Micromentus dilatatus	Bugle sprite	NS
Obliquaria reflexa	Threehorn wartyback	ON
Pisidium cruciatum	Ornamented pea clam	ON
Pomatiopsis lapidaria	River-bank looping snail	ON QC
Quadrula pustulosa	Pimpleback	ON
Somatogyrus subglobosus	Deep-water spire snail	MA ON QC
Sphaerium fabale	River fingernail clam	BC
Sphaerium patella	Rocky mountain fingernail clam	BC
Toxolasma parvus	Lilliput mussel	ON MB
Truncilla donaciformis	Fawnsfoot	ON
Truncilla truncata	Deer-toe	ON
Utterbackia imbecillis	Paper pondshell	ON
Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
Alasmidonta varicosa	Brook floater	NB NS
Anodonta nuttalliana	Winged floater	BC SK
Barnea truncata	Fallen angel wing	Atlantic Ocean
Physella jennessi athearni	Blunt Albino physa	AB
Physella johnsoni	Striate physa	AB
Stagnicola kennicotti	Western Arctic stagnicola	NT
Stagnicola walkeriana	Calabash pond snail	ON
Stagnicola woodruffi	Coldwater pond snail	ON
Valvata perdepressa	Purple cap valvata	ON
Valvata sincera ontariensis	Loosely-coiled valve snail	ON

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
Anodonto kennerlyi		BC AB
Cochliocopa morseana		NB NS
Columella edentula		NB NS
Cryptomastix mullani sp group		BC
Leptodea ochracea	Delicate lamp-mussel	NS NB
Ligumia nasuta	Eastern pondmussel	ON
Ligumia recta	Black sandshell	ON MB
Margaritifera margaritifera	Eastern pearlshell	NB NS NF PE
Oreohelix sp.		BC
Physella columbiana	Columbia River physa	BC
Physella concolor	Haldeman's physa	BC
Physella lordi	Giant western physa	BC AB
Physella megalochlamys	Cloaked physa	BC SK
Physella nuttalli	Nuttall's physa	BC
Pisidium insigne	Tiny pea clam	BC ON PE
Quadrula quadrula	Mapleleaf	ON
Stagnicola montanensis	Mountain spring stagnicola	AB

Vascular Plants	Note, the SSC for plants and lichens has a long list of vascular plants that awaits formal prioritization.

Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Mosses
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
Echinophyllum sachalinensis
Pseudephemerum nitidum

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
No candidates currently listed
Lichens
Group 1 – Highest priority candidates
Acroscyphus sphaerophoroides		BC
Cladonia labradorica		QC NF
Coccocarpia palmicola		NB NS NF
Collema auriforme		BC
Degelia plumbea		NB NS NF
Erioderma mollissimum		NB NS
Hydrothyrea venosa		BC QC NB
Leioderma sorediatum		BC
Leptogium azureum		ON
Leptogium byssinum		ON
Leptogium dactylinum		ON
Leptogium polycarpum		BC
Lichinodium canadense		BC
Lobaria silvae-veteris		BC
Moelleropsis nebulosa subsp. Frullaniae
Pertusaria hakkodensis		BC
Sticta canariensis		ON
Sticta oroborealis (chlorotype)		BC
Sticta wrightii		BC
Usnea rigida		BC

Group 2 – Intermediate priority candidates
No candidates currently listed

Group 3 – Lower priority candidates
No candidates currently listed