Fig. 2.Fig. 2. Map of Cowley, Chautauqua and Elk counties, Kansas, showing stations at which collecting was done.
A-1. Arkansas River. Sec. 2 and 3, T. 35 S, R. 4 E. June 14 and August 20. Braided channel with sand bottom. Water slightly turbid, with layer of oil sludge on bottom.
A-2. Arkansas River. Sec. 22, T. 34 S, R. 3 E. August 25. Flowing through diverse channels. Average depth 12 inches. Bottom sand. (Plate 9, fig. 1.)
A-3. Arkansas River. Sec. 21, T. 33 S, R. 3 E. August 27 and December 22. Flowing over fine sand. Average depth 11 inches. Some areas of backwater with oil sludge on bottom.
W-1. Walnut River. Sec. 20, T. 34 S, R. 4 E. July 7. Flowing rapidly, with large volume, because of recent rains. Average width 300 feet. Bottom gravel. Water turbid.
W-2. Walnut River. Sec. 11, T. 34 S, R. 4 E. July 20. Rubble riffles and large shallow pools with gravel bottoms. Average width, 100 feet. Water clear.
W-3. Walnut River. Sec. 29, T. 32 S, R. 4 E. July 17. Pools and riffles below Tunnel Mill Dam at Winfield. Water clear.
W-4. Badger Creek. Sec. 6, T. 33 S, R. 5 E. July 17. Small pools. Average width 7 feet, average length 40 feet, average depth 8 inches. Water turbid and malodorous. Bottoms and banks mud. Much detritus present.
W-5. Timber Creek. Sec. 35, T. 31 S, R. 4 E. June 6. Intermittent pools, widely separated. Average width 9 feet, average depth 8 inches. Bottom mud and gravel.
B-1. Big Beaver Creek. Sec. 8, T. 35 S, R. 7 E. May 28. Isolated pools. Average width 10 feet, average depth one foot. Water turbid. Bottom rubble.
B-2. Little Beaver Creek. Sec. 18, T. 35 S, R. 6 E. July 21. Intermittent pools. Average width 10 feet, average length 35 feet, average depth 10 inches. Bottoms rubble, mud, and bedrock.
B-3. Big Beaver Creek. Sec. 28, T. 34 S, R. 7 E. July 22. Series of small turbid pools.
G-1. Grouse Creek. Sec. 5, T. 35 S, R. 5 E. May 30, September 5, and September 24. Intermittent pools in close succession. Average width 22 feet, average depth 16 inches. Water turbid on May 30 but clear in September. Bottom rubble. Steep banks. Little shade for pools.
G-2. Grouse Creek. Sec. 23, T. 34 S, R. 5 E. August 29. Series of shallow intermittent pools. Average width 42 feet, average length 120 feet, average depth 15 inches. Bottom bedrock and mud. (Plate 9, fig. 2.)
G-3. Grouse Creek. Sec. 6, T. 34 S, R. 6 E. July 12. Intermittent pools. Average width 20 feet, average length 65 feet, average depth 14 inches. Bottom bedrock and gravel.Justicia americanaL. abundant.
G-4. Grouse Creek. Sec. 12, T. 33 S, R. 6 E. June 1 and September 7. Intermittent pools. Average width 15 feet, average length 100 feet, average depth 18 inches. Water turbid in June, clear in September.Najas guadalupensisSpreng., andMyriophyllum heterophyllumMichx. common.
G-5. Grouse Creek. Sec. 19, T. 32 S, R. 7 E. July 2. Succession of riffles and pools. Water clear. Volume of flow approximately one cubic foot per second, but creek bankful after heavy rains on June 22. Average width 20 feet, average depth 18 inches.
G-6. Grouse Creek. Sec. 32, T. 31 S, R. 7 E. July 8. Small intermittent pools to which cattle had access. Water turbid, bottom mud and rubble. Average width 10 feet, average depth 8 inches. Stream-bed covered with tangled growths ofSorghum halepense(L.).
G-7. Grouse Creek. Sec. 34, T. 30 S, R. 7 E. July 8. Stream flowing slightly. Water clear. Average width of pools 30 feet; average depth 20 inches. Bottom bedrock and gravel.Myriophyllum heterophyllumMichx.,Nelumbo lutea(Willd.), andJusticia americanaL. common in shallow water.
G-8. Silver Creek. Sec. 1, T. 33 S, R. 5 E. July 17. Intermittent pools. Average width 30 feet, average length 120 feet, average depth 12 inches. Water clear.
G-9. Silver Creek. Sec. 4, T. 32 S, R. 6 E. July 17. Small upland brook with volume less than one-half cfs. Average width 12 feet, average depth 10 inches. Water clear, bottom mostly rubble.
G-10. Crab Creek. Sec. 33, T. 33 S, R. 6 E. June 24. Intermittent pools, showing evidence of having flowed after rains on June 22. Average width 15 feet, average depth 16 inches.
G-11. Crab Creek. Sec. 35, T. 33 S, R. 6 E. July 16. Small intermittent pools. Average width 13 feet, average length 55 feet, average depth 11 inches. Water clear. Bottom rubble and mud.
G-12. Crab Creek. Sec. 28, T. 33 S, R. 7 E. June 2 and July 20. Isolated pools. Average width 18 feet, average depth one foot. Water turbid. Bottom bedrock and rubble.Myriophyllum heterophyllumandJusticia americanaabundant.
G-13. Crab Creek. Sec. 21, T. 33 S, R. 7 E. July 29. Isolated pools 300 feet by 24 feet. Average depth 12 inches. Water turbid.
G-14. Unnamed creek (hereafter called Grand Summit Creek). Sec. 26, T. 31 S, R. 7 E. August 30. Intermittent pools. Average width 15 feet, average length 45 feet, average depth 11 inches. Water clear. Bottom rubble.
PLATE 9PLATE 91. Station A-2. Arkansas River. (Cowley County, Section 22, T. 34 S, R. 3 E.)2. Station G-2. Grouse Creek. (Cowley County, Section 23, T. 34 S, R. 5 E.)
1. Station A-2. Arkansas River. (Cowley County, Section 22, T. 34 S, R. 3 E.)2. Station G-2. Grouse Creek. (Cowley County, Section 23, T. 34 S, R. 5 E.)
PLATE 10PLATE 101. Station C-12. Cedar Creek. (Cowley County, Section 17, T. 34 S, R. 8 E.)2. Station C-16. Spring Creek. (Elk County, Section 26, T. 31 S, R. 8 E.) Volume of flow of this small creek is indicated by riffle in foreground.
1. Station C-12. Cedar Creek. (Cowley County, Section 17, T. 34 S, R. 8 E.)2. Station C-16. Spring Creek. (Elk County, Section 26, T. 31 S, R. 8 E.) Volume of flow of this small creek is indicated by riffle in foreground.
G-15. Unnamed creek (same as above). Sec. 17, T. 31 S, R. 8 E. July 27. Small upland creek bordered by bluestem pastures. Pools with average width of 10 feet, average length 30 feet, average depth 9 inches. Water slightly turbid. Bottom rubble and mud.
G-16. Crab Creek. Sec. 22, T. 33 S, R. 7 E. July 25. Small isolated pools. Average width 17 feet, average length 58 feet, average depth 9 inches. Water turbid.
G-17. Crab Creek. Sec. 23, T. 33 S, R. 7 E. July 25. Upland brook bordered by bluestem pastures. Unshaded intermittent pools. Average width 7 feet, average length 40 feet, average depth 9 inches. Water turbid.
C-1. Big Caney River. Sec. 16, T. 33 S, R. 10 E. July 19. Intermittent pools. Average width 47 feet, average length 90 feet, average depth 13 inches. Bottom rubble and bedrock. Water clear to slightly turbid.
C-2. Big Caney River. Sec. 1, T. 35 S, R. 9 E. September 5. Series of intermittent pools. Bottom rubble and large stones.
C-3. Big Caney River. Sec. 29, T. 34 S, R. 9 E. June 17. Large shallow pool below ledge 3 feet high forming "Osro Falls." Bottom bedrock.
C-4. Big Caney River. Sec. 32, T. 34 S, R. 9 E. June 3. Three large pools (50 feet by 300 feet) with connecting riffles. Water turbid. Bottom bedrock and rubble.
C-5. Big Caney River. Sec. 11 and 12, T. 34 S, R. 8 E. May 27, May 29, June 11, June 18, June 19, and June 27. From a low-water dam, 6 feet high, downstream for ¼ mile. Pools alternating with rubble and bedrock riffles. Collecting was done at different times of day and night, and when stream was flowing and intermittent.
C-6. Big Caney River. Sec. 26, T. 33 S, R. 8 E. June 16. Intermittent pools with bedrock bottom. Water slightly turbid. Average width 16 feet, average depth 10 inches.
C-7. Otter Creek. Sec. 26, T. 33 S, R. 8 E. June 16. Pools and riffles. Water clear. Algae abundant. Average width 10 feet, average depth 10 inches.
C-8. Big Caney River. Sec. 1, T. 33 S, R. 8 E. June 10. Intermittent pools. Average width 10 feet, average depth 14 inches. Water clear. Bottom rubble and gravel. Aquatic plants includedCharasp.,Sagittaria latifoliaWilld.,Jussiaea diffusaForsk., andNelumbo lutea(Willd.).
C-9. Big Caney River. Sec. 6 and 7, T. 32 S, R. 9 E. June 27. Clear, flowing stream, 20 feet wide, volume estimated at 5 cfs. Bottom gravel and rubble. Extensive gravel riffles.
C-10. Big Caney River. Sec. 29 and 32, T. 31 S, R. 9 E. June 27. Water clear and flowing rapidly, volume estimated at 5-6 cfs. Bottom rubble with a few muddy backwater areas.
C-11. Big Caney River. Sec. 7, T. 31 S, R. 9 E. July 26. Flowing, with less than 1 cfs. Average width 20 feet, average depth 22 inches. Water extremely clear. Bottom gravel and rubble.Myriophyllum heterophyllum,Potamogeton foliosus, andJusticia americanacommon.
C-12. Cedar Creek. Sec. 17, T. 34 S, R. 8 E. March 10, April 2, June 1, June 6, and August 24. Pools and riffles along ¼ mile of stream were seined in the early collections. In August only small isolated pools remained. Bottom bedrock and rubble. Much detritus along streambanks. (Plate 10, fig. 1.)
C-13. Otter Creek. Sec. 16, T. 33 S, R. 8 E. June 15. Flowing, less than 1 cfs. Pools interspersed with rubble riffles. Water clear.
C-14. Otter Creek. Sec. 30, T. 32 S, R. 8 E. May 31, and September 3. Series of small pools. Average width 10 feet, average depth 15 inches. Shallow rubble riffles. Water extremely clear. Temperature 68° at 6:30 p.m. on May 31; 78° at 2:00 p.m. on September 3.
C-15. Spring Creek. Sec. 35, T. 31 S, R. 8 E. June 28. Small, clear,upland brook with rubble bottom. Pools 10 feet in average width and 11 inches in average depth. Numerous shallow rubble riffles.
C-16. Spring Creek. Sec. 26, T. 31 S, R. 8 E. July 9. Small intermittent pools. Average width 10 feet; average depth 8 inches. Bottom gravel. (Plate 10, fig. 2.)
C-17. West Fork Big Caney River. Sec. 36, T. 30 S, R. 8 E. July 27. Small pool below low-water dam. Pool 20 feet by 30 feet with average depth of 20 inches.
C-18. East Fork Big Caney River. Sec. 31, T. 30 S, R. 9 E. July 27. Isolated pool 25 feet by 25 feet with an average depth of 15 inches.
M-1. Middle Caney Creek. Sec. 23, T. 33 S, R. 10 E. July 4. Intermittent pools. Average width 45 feet, average depth 15 inches. Water stained brown. Oil fields nearby but no sludge or surface film of oil noted. Bottom rubble and bedrock.
M-2. Pool Creek. Sec. 25, T. 33 S, R. 10 E. May 26. Pool 120 feet by 40 feet below limestone ledge approximately 12 feet high forming Butcher's Falls. Other smaller pools sampled. Water clear. Bottom bedrock and rubble.
E-1. Elk River. Sec. 12, T. 31 S, R. 11 E. July 9. Four intermittent pools seined. Average width 32 feet, average depth 13 inches. Bottom bedrock, rubble, and mud. Water turbid.
E-2. Elk River. Sec. 3, T. 31 S, R. 11 E. June 28. Intermittent pools below and above sandstone ledge approximately 6 feet high forming "falls" at Elk Falls. Average width 33 feet, average depth 15 inches. Bottom bedrock, rubble and mud. Water slightly turbid.
E-3. Elk River. Sec. 21, T. 30 S, R. 11 E. June 28. Two small pools, 10 feet by 30 feet with average depth of 6 inches. Bottom bedrock.
E-4. Elk River. Sec. 12, T. 30 S, R. 10 E. June 28. One long pool 500 feet by 50 feet with a variety of depths and bottom conditions ranging from mud to bedrock. Average depth 18 inches. Water turbid and pools unshaded.
E-5. Elk River. Sec. 32, T. 29 S, R. 10 E. August 30. Intermittent pools. Average width 21 feet, average depth 20 inches. Bottom rubble. Water clear.
E-6. Elk River. Sec. 23, T. 29 S, R. 9 E. August 30. Small isolated pools. River mostly dry. Bottom bedrock. Water slightly turbid with gray-green "bloom."
E-7. Wildcat Creek. Sec. 11, T. 31 S, R. 10 E. Volume of flow less than one cfs. Average width 20 feet, average depth 18 inches. Domestic sewage pollution from town of Moline suspected.
Lepisosteus osseus oxyurus(Linnaeus): Stations A-1, W-2, W-3, G-2, G-3, G-4, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-5, C-8.
Of 34 longnose gar taken, 27 were young-of-the-year. The latter were from shallow isolated pools (bedrock bottom at C-1, C-3, C-4; gravel bottom at C-6). At station W-1 in moderate flood conditions several young-of-the-year were found in the most sheltered water next to the banks.
The longnose gar was found only in the lower parts of the streams surveyed (but were observed by me in smaller tributaries of these streams in years when the streams had a greater volume of flow). A preference for downstream habitat is suggested in several other surveys: Cross (1950:134, 1954a:307) on the South Fork of theCottonwood and on Stillwater Creek; Cross and Moore (1952:401) on the Poteau and Fourche Maline rivers; Moore and Buck (1953:21) on the Chikaskia River.
Lepisosteus platostomusRafinesque: One shortnose gar (K. U. 3157) has been taken from the Arkansas River in Cowley County. This gar was taken by Mr. Richard Rinker on a bank line on April 10, 1955, at station A-3.
Dorosoma cepedianum(Le Sueur): Stations W-3, G-4, C-4, C-5, M-1, E-1, E-4.
In smaller streams such as the Elk and Caney rivers adult gizzard shad seemed scarce. They were more common in collections made in larger rivers (Walnut, Verdigris, and Neosho). In impoundments of this region shad often become extremely abundant. Schoonover (1954:173) found that shad comprised 97 per cent by number and 83 per cent by weight of fishes taken in a survey of Fall River Reservoir.
Carpiodes carpio carpio(Rafinesque): Stations A-1, A-2, A-3, W-3, G-1, C-3.
Hubbs and Lagler (1947:50) stated that the river carpsucker was "Mostly confined to large silty rivers." Of the stations listed above C-3 least fits this description being a large shallow pool about ⅓ acre in area having bedrock bottom and slightly turbid water. The other stations conform to conditions described by Hubbs and Lagler (loc. cit.).
Carpiodes velifer(Rafinesque): SBS. Three specimens of the highfin carpsucker (K. U. 177-179) were collected on July 11, 1912, from an unspecified location on Elk River in Elk County.
Ictiobus bubalus(Rafinesque): Stations W-3, G-1, G-2, C-1, C-3, C-4, C-6, E-1, E-2, E-3.
The smallmouth buffalo shared the downstream proclivities of the river carpsucker. In half of the collections (G-2, C-1, E-1, E-2, E-3) only large juveniles were taken; in the other half only young-of-the-year were found. In one pool at station C-1 hundreds of young buffalo and gar were observed. This large shallow pool was 100 × 150 feet, with an average depth of 8 inches. The bottom consisted of bedrock. Station C-6 was a small pool with bedrock bottom, eight feet in diameter, with an average depth of only 4 inches. Station E-3 was also a small isolated pool with bedrock bottom and an average depth of 6 inches.
Ictiobus niger(Rafinesque): Station C-5.
Only two specimens of the black buffalo were taken. An adultwas caught on spinning tackle, with doughballs for bait. The second specimen was a juvenile taken by seining one mile below Station C-5 on September 22.
Ictiobus cyprinella(Valenciennes): Station G-2.
Two juvenal bigmouth buffalo were taken in a shallow pool, along with several juvenal smallmouth buffalo.
Moxostoma aureolum pisolabrumTrautman andMoxostoma carinatum(Cope): SBS.
Two specimens ofMoxostoma aureolum pisolabrum(K. U. 242-243) and one specimen ofMoxostoma carinatum(K. U. 223) were taken from an unspecified locality on Elk River in Elk County on July 11, 1912. There are no other records for any of these fish in the collection area.M. aureolum pisolabrumhas been taken in recent years in eastern Kansas (Trautman, 1951:3) and has been found as far west as the Chikaskia drainage in northern Oklahoma by Moore and Buck (1953:21). That occasional northern redhorse enter the larger rivers of the area here reported on seems probable.
M. carinatumhas been reported only a few times from Kansas. The only recent records are from the Verdigris River (Schelske, 1957:39). Elkins (1954:28) took four specimens ofM. carinatumfrom cutoff pools on Salt Creek in Osage County, Oklahoma, in 1954. This recent record suggests that occurrences in southern Kansas are probable.
Moxostoma erythrurum(Rafinesque): Stations G-5, G-7, G-10, G-12, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-8, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-15, E-1, E-2, E-4 (C-131, C-133, C-136).
The golden redhorse was common in several of the streams surveyed, and utilized the upland parts of streams more extensively than any of the other catostomids occurring in the area.M. erythrurumandIctiobus bubaluswere taken together at only two stations. In no case wasI. bubalustaken from a tributary of Grouse Creek or of Big Caney River. In contrastM. erythrurumreached its greatest concentrations in such habitat, although it was always a minor component of the total fish population. Stations C-5 and E-2 were the lowermost environments in which this redhorse was taken.
The largest relative number of golden redhorse was found at station G-12 on Crab Creek where 7.5 per cent of the fishes taken were of this species. This station consisted of intermittent pools averaging one foot in depth. Bottoms were bedrock and rubble and the water was clear and shaded. The fish were consistentlytaken in the deeper, open part of the pool where aquatic vegetation, which covered most of the pool, was absent.
Another station at whichM. erythrurumwas abundant was C-12 on Cedar Creek. Here a long, narrow, clear pool was the habitat, with average depth of 17 inches, and bottom of bedrock.
Minytrema melanops(Rafinesque): Stations G-10, C-4, C-12, E-1.
Occurrences of the spotted sucker were scattered. At stations C-4 and G-10 single specimens were taken. At station E-1 (July 9) one specimen was taken at the mouth of a small tributary where water was turbid and quiet. This specimen (K. U. 3708) was the largest (9⅜ inches total length) found, and possessed pits of lost tubercles.
Cyprinus carpioLinnaeus: Stations A-1, W-1, W-2, W-3, W-4, G-3, G-4, G-6, G-8, C-3, C-5, E-4.
Carp were taken most often in downstream habitat. No carp were taken above station C-5 on Big Caney River.
The earliest date on which young were taken was July 7, when 46 specimens, approximately ½ inch in total length, were taken from the Walnut River at station W-1. The small carp showed a preference for small shallow pools; adults were found in deeper pools.
Hybopsis aestivalis tetranemus(Gilbert): Station A-3.
Only one specimen of the speckled chub was taken. The species has been recorded from nearby localities in the Arkansas River and its tributaries both in Kansas and Oklahoma. Its habitat seems to be shallow water over clean, fine sand, and it occurs in strong current in mid-channel in the Arkansas River. Suitable habitat does not occur in other parts of the area covered by this report.
Notropis blennius(Girard): Stations A-1, A-2, A-3.
The river shiner was taken only in the Arkansas River and in small numbers. In all instancesN. blenniuswas found over sandy bottom in flowing water. Females were gravid at station A-1 on June 14. To my knowledge there are no published records of this shiner from the Arkansas River Basin in Kansas. In Oklahoma this species prefers the large, sandy streams such as the Arkansas River. Cross and Moore (1952:403) found it in the Poteau River only near the mouth.
Notropis boopsGilbert: Stations G-5, G-7, C-3, C-5, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-15, C-16, E-4, E-5, M-1, M-2.
Widespread occurrence of the bigeye shiner in this area seems surprising. Except for this area it is known in Kansas only fromthe Spring River drainage in the southeastern corner of the state (Cross, 1954b:474).N. boopschose habitats that seemed most nearly like Ozarkian terrain. The largest relative number of bigeye shiners was taken at C-11 in a clear stream described in the discussion ofNotropis rubellus. At this stationN. boopscomprised 14.11 per cent, andN. boopsandN. rubellustogether comprised 24.78 per cent of all fish taken.
At station G-7 on Grouse Creek the percentage ofN. boopswas 7.15. Here, as at station C-11, water was clear. At both stationsMyriophyllum heterophyllumwas abundant and at G-7Nelumbo luteawas also common. At G-7N. boopsseemed most abundant in the deeper water, but at C-11 most shiners were found in the shallower part of a large pool.
Two other collections in whichN. boopswere common were from Spring Creek. It is a small, clear Flint Hills brook running swiftly over clean gravel and rubble. It had, however, been intermittent or completely dry in its upper portion throughout the winter of 1955-'56 and until June 22, 1956. In collections at C-15 on June 28,N. boopsformed 6.5 per cent of the fish taken. Farther upstream, at C-16 on July 9, in an area one mile from the nearest pool of water that existed prior to the rains of June 22,N. boopsmade up 7.2 per cent of the fish taken.
In streams heading in the hilly area of western Elk County, the relative abundance ofNotropis boopsdecreased progressively downstream. On upper Elk River percentages were lower than on upper Grouse Creek and upper Big Caney River.
Hubbs and Lagler (1947:66) characterize the habitat of this species as clear creeks of limestone uplands. There are numerous records of the bigeye shiner from extreme eastern Oklahoma. It has been reported as far west as Beaver Creek in Osage County, Oklahoma. Beaver Creek originates in Cowley County, Kansas, near the origin of Cedar Creek and Crab Creek. Drought had left a few pools of water in Beaver Creek in Kansas at the time of my survey. The fish-fauna seemed sparse andN. boopswas not among the species taken. Of interest in considering the somewhat isolated occurrence of the bigeye shiner in the Flint Hills area of Kansas is a record of it by Ortenburger and Hubbs (1926:126) from Panther Creek, Comanche County, Oklahoma, in the Wichita Mountain area of that state.
Notropis buchananiMeek: Stations G-1, E-4 (C-131).
At station G-1 the ghost shiner was taken in small numbers in the shallow end of a long pool (150 × 40 feet.) The three individuals taken at station E-4 were in an isolated pool (50 × 510 feet) averaging1½ feet in depth. Water was turbid, and warm due to lack of shade.
The habitat preferences of this species and of the related speciesN. volucellushave been described as follows by Hubbs and Ortenburger (1929b:68): "It seems probable thatvolucelluswhen occurring in the range ofbuchananioccupies upland streams, whereasbuchananiis chiefly a form of the large rivers and adjacent creek mouths." The results of this survey and impressions gained from other collections, some of which are unpublished, are in agreement with this view. A collection on the Verdigris River at Independence, Kansas, directly downstream from the mouth of the Elk River, showedN. buchananito be common whileN. volucelluswas not taken. At station E-5 upstream from E-4, however,N. volucelluswas taken butN. buchananiwas not found.
In the upper Neosho basin, Cross (1954a:310) tookN. volucellusbut notN. buchanani. Other collections have shownN. buchananito be abundant in the lower Neosho River in Kansas. Moore and Paden (1950:85) observe thatN. buchananiwas found only near the mouth of the Illinois River in Oklahoma and was sharply segregated ecologically fromN. volucellusthat occupied a niche in the clear main channels in contrast to the more sluggish waters inhabited byN. buchanani.
Notropis camurus(Jordan and Meek): Stations C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, E-1, E-5 (C-131).
Highest concentrations of the bluntface shiner were found close to the mouths of two tributaries of Big Caney River: Rock Creek and Otter Creek. On Rock Creek (Station C-4) this shiner was abundant in a shallow pool below a riffle where water was flowing rapidly. Many large males in breeding condition were taken (June 3). The species formed 20.2 per cent of the fish taken.
On Otter Creek (Station C-13) the species was common in shallow bedrock pools below riffles. It formed 12.1 per cent of the fish taken.
At station C-5,N. camuruswas characteristically found in an area of shallow pools and riffles. At station C-10 it was found in clear flowing water over rubble bottom and in small coves over mud bottom. At C-11 (July 26)N. camuruswas taken only in one small pool with rapidly flowing water below a riffle. In this poolN. camuruswas the dominant fish. At station C-12, on April 2,N. camuruswas abundant in the stream, which was then clear and flowing. On August 24, it was not taken from the same pool, which was then turbid and drying.
The frequent occurrence of this species in clear, flowing waterseems significant. Cross (1954a:309) notes that the bluntface shiner prefers moderately fast, clear water. Hall (1952:57) foundN. camurusonly in upland tributaries east of Grand River and not in lowland tributaries west of the river. Moore and Buck (1953:22) took this species in the Chikaskia River, which was at that time a clear, flowing stream. They noted that in Oklahoma it seems to be found only in relatively clear water.
N. camurusdid not seem to ascend the smaller tributaries of Big Caney River as didN. rubellusandN. boopseven when these tributaries were flowing.
Notropis deliciosus missuriensis(Cope): Stations A-1, A-2, A-3, W-1, W-2, W-3 (C-136).
Sand shiners seemed to be abundant in the Arkansas River, rare in the Walnut River and absent from other streams surveyed. This shiner was most abundant in shallow, flowing water in the Arkansas River; in backwaters, whereGambusia affinisprevailed,N. deliciosusformed only a small percentage of the fish population.
Notropis girardiHubbs and Ortenburger: Stations A-2 and A-3.
At station A-2 the Arkansas River shiner made up 14.6 per cent of all fish taken. At A-2, it was found only in rapidly-flowing water over clean sand in the main channels. It was absent from the shallow, slowly-flowing water whereN. deliciosus missuriensiswas abundant. At A-3N. girardimade up 22 per cent of the total catch, and again preferred the deeper, faster water over clean-swept sand. Failure to findN. girardiat station A-1 is not understood.
Females were gravid in both collections (August 25 and 27). In neither collection were young-of-the-year taken. Moore (1944:210) has suggested thatN. girardirequires periods of high water and turbidity to spawn. Additional collecting was done at station A-3 on December 22, 1957. A few adults were taken in flowing water but no young were found.
In this area,N. girardishowed no tendency to ascend tributaries of the Arkansas River. Not far to the west, however, this pattern changes as shown by Hubbs and Ortenburger (1929a:32) who took this fish at seven of ten stations on the Cimarron, Canadian, and Salt Fork of the Arkansas.N. girardiwas taken only in the lowermost stations on both Stillwater Creek (Cross, 1950:136) and the Chikaskia River (Moore and Buck, 1953:22). In the next major stream west of the Chikaskia, the Medicine River,N. girardiseems to occur farther upstream than in the Chikaskia. (Collection C-5-51 by Dr. A. B. Leonard and Dr. Frank B. Cross on Elm Creek near Medicine Lodge on July 20, 1951.)
Notropis lutrensis(Baird and Girard): Stations A-1, A-2, W-1, W-2, W-3, W-4, G-1, G-2, G-4, G-5, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11, G-12, G-13, G-14, G-15, G-16, B-1, B-2, B-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14, M-1, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-7 (E&F, C-131, C-133, C-136).
The red shiner was taken in every stream surveyed. The relative abundance seemed to be greatest in two types of habitat which were separated geographically. The first habitat was in large rivers such as the Arkansas and Walnut. In the Arkansas River the red shiner consistently made up 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the catch. On the Walnut River percentages ranged from 10 per cent (station W-3) to 45 per cent (station W-2).
The second habitat in which numbers ofN. lutrensisreached high proportions was in the upper parts of the most intermittent tributaries. At the uppermost station in Silver Creek this species formed 30 per cent of the fish taken. In Crab Creek the following percentages were taken in six collections from mouth to source: 20.6%, 26.1%, 25%, 85%, 14.6%, and 1%. In the mainstream of Grouse Creek the highest percentage taken was 19.27 near the mouth at station G-1. In middle sections of Grouse Creek this species was either absent or made up less than 2 per cent of the fish taken.
At no station on Big Caney River was the red shiner abundant. The smallest relative numbers were found at upstream stations, in contrast to collections made on tributaries of Grouse Creek. This distributional pattern possibly may be explained by the severe conditions under which fish have been forced to live in the upper tributaries of Grouse Creek. Water was more turbid, and pools were smaller than in Big Caney. These factors possibly decimate numbers of the less hardy species permitting expansion by more adaptable species, among which seems to beN. lutrensis. In the upper tributaries of Big Caney River conditions have not been so severe due to greater flow from springs and less cultivation of the watershed in most places. Under such conditionsN. lutrensisseems to remain a minor faunal constituent.
Notropis percobromus(Cope): Stations A-1, A-2, W-1, W-2, W-3, G-1.
At station W-1 the plains shiner constituted 20 per cent of the fish taken. The river was flowing rapidly with large volume at the time of this collection, and all specimens were taken near the bank in comparatively quiet water over gravel bottom. At station W-3, below Tunnel Mill Dam at Winfield,N. percobromuscomprised 18.7 per cent of the fish taken, second only toLepomis humilisinrelative abundance. Immediately below the west end of the dam, plains shiners were so concentrated that fifty or more were taken in one haul of a four-foot nylon net. The amount of water overflowing the dam at this point was slight. Water was shallow (8-12 inches) and the bottom consisted of the pitted apron or of fine gravel. At the east end of the dam where water was deeper (1-3 feet) and the flow over the dam greater, large numbers ofLepomis humiliswere taken whileN. percobromuswas rare.
In the Arkansas River smaller relative numbers of this shiner were obtained. At station A-2, it formed 4.68 per cent of the total. At this stationN. percobromuswas taken withN. lutrensisin water about 18 inches deep next to a bank where the current was sluggish and tangled roots and detritus offered some shelter.
At station G-1 on Grouse Creek the plains shiner made up 7.68 per cent of the fish taken. The habitat consisted of intermittent pools with rubble bottoms at this station, which was four miles upstream from the mouth of the creek. The plains shiner seems rarely to ascend the upland streams of the area.
Notropis rubellus(Agassiz): Stations C-3, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14 (J&J).
No fish in these collections showed a more persistent preference thanNotropis rubellusfor clear, cool streams. All collections of the rosyface shiner were in the Big Caney River system, but at only four stations in this system was it common. At station C-11 the highest relative numbers (10.6 per cent) were obtained. This site possessed the most limpid water of any station on the mainstream of Big Caney. Aquatic plants (Myriophyllum heterophyllumandPotamogeton nodosus) were common. Other fishes that flourished at this station wereN. boops,N. camurus,Campostoma anomalum, andEtheostoma spectabile. The water temperature was 86° at surface and 80° at bottom whereas air temperature was 97°.
N. rubelluswas common at all stations in Otter Creek, the clear, upland character of which has been discussed. In May and June only adults were found. On September 1, examination of several pools in upper Otter Creek revealed numerous young-of-the-year in small spring-fed pools.
Literature is scarce concerning this shiner in Kansas. Cross (1954a:308) stated that it was abundant in the South Fork of the Cottonwood River and was one of those fishes primarily associated with the Ozarkian fauna, rather than with the fauna of the plains. Elliott (1947) foundN. rubellusin Spring Creek, a tributary ofFall River which seems similar to Otter Creek in physical features. Between the Fall River and Big Caney River systems is the Elk River, from which there is no record of the rosyface shiner. Perhaps its absence is related to the intermittent condition of this stream at present. The Elk River is poor in spring-fed tributaries, which seem to be favorite environs of the rosyface shiner.
N. rubelluswas taken by Minna Jewell and Frank Jobes in Silver Creek on June 30, 1925 (UMMZ 67818). The shiner was not found in any stream west of the Big Caney system in my collections.
In Oklahoma, Hall (1952:57) foundN. rubellusin upland tributaries on the east side of Grand River and not in the lowland tributaries on the west side. Martin and Campbell (1953:51) characterizeN. rubellusas preferring riffle channels in moderate to fast current in the Black River, Missouri. It is the only species so characterized by them which was taken in my collections. Moore and Paden (1950:84) state "Notropis rubellusis one of the most abundant fishes of the Illinois River, being found in all habitats but showing a distinct preference for fast water...."
Notropis topeka(Gilbert): Two specimens (formerly Indiana University 4605) of the Topeka shiner labeled "Winfield, Kansas" are now at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Collector and other data are not given. Evermann and Fordice (1886:185) noted that two specimens ofN. topekawere taken from Sand Creek near Newton in Harvey County, but do not list it from Cowley County near Winfield. They deposited their fish in the museum of Indiana University.
Notropis umbratilis(Girard): Stations G-1, G-3, G-4, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-12, G-14, B-2, B-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5, M-1, M-2 (J&J, C-131, C-132).
The redfin shiner flourished in all the streams surveyed except the Arkansas and Walnut Rivers.N. umbratilishas been found in upland tributaries of the Walnut River, some of which originate in terrain similar to that in which Elk River, Big Caney River, and Grouse Creek originate. (Collection C-26-51 by Cross on Durechon Creek, October 7, 1951.) This suggests downstream reduction in relative numbers of this species, a tendency which also seemed to exist on both Big Caney River and Grouse Creek.N. umbratiliswas the most abundant species in Big Caney River except at the lowermost stations where it was surpassed in relative abundance byN. lutrensisandGambusia affinis.
N. umbratiliswas a pool-dweller, becoming more concentrated in the deeper pools as summer advanced. In May and early June, large concentrations of adultN. umbratiliswere common in the shallow ends of pools together withN. rubellus,N. boops,Pimephales notatus, andPimephales tenellus. By July and August, only young of the year were taken in shallow water, and adults were scarcely in evidence.
Notropis volucellus(Cope): Stations G-5, G-8, C-3, C-5, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, M-1, E-4, E-5.
The mimic shiner was a minor element in the fauna, 2.02 per cent at station C-5 being the largest percentage taken. In the Big Caney River systemN. volucelluswas taken only in the main stream. In the Grouse Creek drainage it was found at two stations in the upper part of the watershed, where water is clearer, gradient greater, and pools well-shaded and cool.
In the Elk River the mimic shiner was taken only in the upper part of the main stream. The dominant shiner in situations whereN. volucelluswas taken was, in all cases,N. umbratilis. Elliott (1947) foundN. volucellusin Spring Creek, a tributary of Fall River. Farther north in the Flint Hills region,N. volucelluswas reported by Cross (1954a:310).
Notemigonus crysoleucas(Mitchell): Station W-5.
This isolated record for the golden shiner consisted of nine specimens collected on June 6 in Timber Creek, a tributary of the Walnut River. Most of the creek was dry.N. crysoleucaswas taken in one pool with dimensions of 8 feet by 4 feet with an average depth of 4 inches. This creek is sluggish and silt-laden, even under conditions of favorable precipitation. Hubbs and Ortenburger (1929b:89) observed that the golden shiner prefers sluggish water. Hall (1952:58) took the golden shiner only in the lowland tributaries west of Grand River and not east of the river in upland tributaries.
Phenacobius mirabilisGirard: Stations W-3, C-3.
In no case was the suckermouth minnow common; it never comprised more than 1 per cent of the fish population.
Pimephales notatus(Rafinesque): Stations W-4, G-5, G-7, G-9, G-12, G-13, B-3, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, C-17, C-18, M-1, M-2, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5, E-7 (J&J, C-131, C-132, C-133).
This was much the most abundant of the four species ofPimephalesin this area. It was taken at 33 stations as compared with 10 forP. tenellus, 8 forP. promelas, and 3 forP. vigilax.
The bluntnose minnow was taken almost everywhere except in the main stream of the Arkansas and Walnut rivers and in lower Grouse Creek.P. notatusseemed to prefer clearer streams of the Flint Hills part of my area. There was a marked increase in percentages taken in the upland tributaries of both Caney River and Grouse Creek. In the Elk River, too, higher concentrations were found upstream.
The highest relative numbers of bluntnose minnows were taken at station G-12 on Crab Creek, station C-12 on Cedar Creek and station C-16 on Spring Creek. At G-12, this minnow was abundant in the deeper isolated pools. Males in breeding condition were taken on June 9. In Cedar Creek the population of bluntnose minnows was observed periodically in one pool in which they were dominant. This pool was 100 feet by 50 feet, shallow, and with bedrock bottom. At its upper end, however, there was a small area of heavily-shaded deeper water. Throughout the spring bluntnose minnows were found in large schools in the shallow area. As the summer progressed they were no longer there, but seining revealed their presence in the deeper, upper end.
At station C-16 on Spring Creek on July 9 maleP. notatuswere taken in extreme breeding condition, being light brick-red in color and with large tubercles.
Pimephales tenellus(Girard): Stations G-1, C-2, C-3, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, M-1, E-2, E-4 (C-131 C-133).
The mountain minnow was never taken far from the mainstream of Big Caney, Middle Caney, or Elk River. In this respect it differed fromP. notatus, which reached large concentrations in the small upland tributaries. On the other hand,P. tenelluswas not so abundant asP. vigilaxin the silty larger streams. In no collection was the mountain minnow common. The highest percentages were 2.4 per cent (Station C-5), and 2.1 per cent (Station C-7) on Big Caney River. These stations consisted of clear, flowing water over rubble bottoms. Males at C-7 (June 16) were in breeding condition.
Moore and Buck (1953:23) reported finding this species among rocks in very fast water rather than in the quiet backwaters frequented byP. vigilax. Other records of the mountain minnow from the Flint Hills indicate that it seeks areas of maximum gradient and flow; in this distributional respect it is likeNotropis camurus. The two species are recorded together from other streams in this region such as the Chikaskia (Moore and Buck, 1953:23), Cottonwood (Cross, 1954a:310), and Spring Creek, tributary of Fall River (Elliott, 1947). It is conceivable that a preference for flowingwater might explain its restriction to the medium-sized, less intermittent streams in this area. The only tributary which the species seemed to ascend to any extent was Otter Creek, which is seldom intermittent downstream.
Pimephales vigilax perspicuus(Girard): Stations A-3, C-1, C-4.
The parrot minnow was found only in downstream habitats. Collection C-4 (June 3) on Rock Creek was made about ½ mile from the mouth of this tributary of Big Caney and the creek here had almost the same character as the river proper. The presence of other channel fishes such asIctiobus bubalusindicates the downstream nature of the creek. Some males ofP. vigilaxin breeding condition were taken in this collection.
At C-1, only one specimen was found in a turbid, isolated pool with bedrock bottom. At A-1 only one parrot minnow was taken; it was in deep, fairly quiet water near the bank.
Other collections outside the three-county area revealed the following: In the Neosho River, several parrot minnows were found in quiet backwaters and in shallow pools. In the Verdigris River three were taken directly under water spilling over the dam at this station, while others were found, together withP. promelas, in the mouth of a small creek that provided a backwater habitat with mud bottom.
Cross and Moore (1952:405) found this species only at stations in the lower portion of the Poteau River. Farther west the minnow may ascend the smaller sandy streams to greater distances. Moore and Buck (1953:23) took parrot minnows at six of 15 stations on the Chikaskia River and found the species as far upstream as Drury, Kansas. Elliott (1947), in comparing the South Ninnescah and Spring Creek fish faunas, found onlyP. vigilaxandP. promelason the sandy, "flatter" Ninnescah and onlyP. notatusandP. tenelluson Spring Creek, an upland, Flint Hills stream in Greenwood County.
Pimephales promelasRafinesque: Stations A-2, A-3, W-3, W-4, G-9, B-1, M-1, E-4 (E&F, C-136).
Occurrences of the fathead minnow were scattered, but included all streams sampled except Big Caney.
Three of the collections were in small intermittent streams where conditions were generally unfavorable for fishes and in one instance extremely foul. Two of these stations had turbid water and all suffered from siltation.
In Middle Caney Creek the species was rare but in the Elk River(June 28) more than 100 specimens, predominantly young, were taken. This station consisted of a large isolated pool with a variety of bottom types. Water was turbid and the surface temperature was high (93° F.). In different parts of the pool the following numbers of specimens were taken in single seine-hauls: 15 over shallow bedrock; 35 over gravel (1½ feet deep); 50 over mud bottom (1 foot deep).
P. promelaswas found also in the large, flowing rivers: Arkansas, Walnut, Verdigris, and Neosho. The species was scarce in the Arkansas River, and was found principally in muddy coves. In the Walnut (W-3), this minnow comprised 7.65 per cent of the fish taken and was common in quiet pools.
Campostoma anomalumRafinesque: Stations W-4, G-4, C-1, C-3, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, C-17, C-18, B-3 (E&F, C-131, C-136).
Although the stoneroller was found in most streams surveyed, it was taken most often in the Big Caney system, where it occurred at 16 of the 18 stations. In contrast, it was represented at only one of 17 stations on Grouse Creek. High percentages were found in three creeks—Cedar, Otter, and Spring. As noted above, these streams are normally clear, swift and have steep gradients and many rubble and gravel riffles. On these riffles young stonerollers abounded. Station C-16 on Spring Creek typifies the habitat in which this species was most abundant. The stream has an average width of 10 feet and depth of a few inches. The volume of flow was less than 1 cubic foot per second but turbulence was great. Water was clear and the bottom was gravel and rubble. Following rains in June, stonerollers quickly occupied parts of Spring Creek (upstream from C-16) that had been dry throughout the previous winter.
On April 2 manyC. anomalumandEtheostoma spectabilewere taken in shallow pools and riffles in an extensive bedrock-riffle area on Cedar Creek near station C-12. Most of the females were gravid and the males were in breeding condition. On June 6 these pools were revisited. Flow had ceased and the pools were drying up. Young-of-the-year of the two species were abundant, but only a few mature stonerollers were taken. On August 24, prolonged drought had drastically altered the stream and all areas from which stonerollers and darters had been taken were dry. Seining of other pools which were almost dry revealed no stonerollers.
Collections on May 31, June 15, and June 16 in Otter Creekrevealed large numbers of stonerollers. They were found in riffle areas, in aquatic vegetation, and especially in detritus alongside banks. Most of the specimens were young-of-the-year.
Anguilla bostoniensis(Le Sueur): An American eel was caught by me in Grouse Creek in 1949.
Gambusia affinis(Baird and Girard): Stations A-1, A-2, A-3, W-1, W-2, W-3, W-4, W-5, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-9, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-6, C-15, E-1.
Mosquitofish occurred widely but in varied abundance. Huge populations were in the shallow sandy backwaters and cut-off pools of the Arkansas River. In the shallow pools of several intermittent streams such as station G-8 on Silver Creek this fish also flourished.
G. affiniswas taken at every station in the Arkansas, Walnut and Grouse systems except those stations on two upland tributaries of Grouse Creek (Crab Creek and Grand Summit Creek). The mosquitofish was not observed in the clear upland tributaries of Big Caney, nor on upper Big Caney River itself in May, June, and July. On September 3, however,Gambusiawere taken at station C-15 on Otter Creek and others were seen at station C-14 on the same date.
Hubbs and Ortenburger (1929b:99) and Cross and Moore (1952:407) observed thatG. affinisusually was absent from small upland tributaries, even though it was abundant in lower parts of the same river systems.
Fundulus kansae(Garman): Stations A-2, A-3, Evermann and Fordice asFundulus zebrinus.
At station A-2, seven plains killifish were taken together with a great manyNotropis deliciosusandGambusia affinisin a shallow, algae-covered channel with slight flow and sand bottom. At station A-3 many young killifish were taken in small shallow pools on December 22.Fundulus kansaehas been found in the lower part of the Walnut River Basin, especially where petroleum pollution was evident. Eastward from the Walnut River plains killifish have not been taken.
Fundulus notatus(Rafinesque): Stations B-1, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-11, G-14, C-1, M-1, E-1, Evermann and Fordice asZygonectes notatus.
The black-banded topminnow was not taken in the Arkansas River but was common in the Walnut and Grouse systems. It was common also in Middle Caney, but in Big Caney and Elk River it was taken only at the lowermost stations.
This species did not seem to ascend far into smaller tributaries of Grouse Creek. In Crab Creek it was taken at the lower two of six stations and in Grand Summit Creek at the lower of two stations.
The highest relative numbers were taken at stations G-3 (17.5 per cent), G-4 (24 per cent), G-10 (25.75 per cent) and G-11 (41.52 per cent), on Crab Creek and Grouse Creek. Both upstream and downstream from these stations, which were within five miles of each other, the relative abundance dropped off sharply. The bottoms at these stations were mostly rubble and mud, and water was turbid at three of the stations. At G-10 (June 24) and G-11 (July 16) young-of-the-year were abundant.
Ictalurus melas(Girard): Stations W-2, W-3, W-4, W-5, B-1, B-2, B-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-8, G-9, G-11, G-12, G-13, G-14, G-17, C-1, C-9, C-11, C-12, C-14, C-15, C-17, C-18, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5, E-6, N-1, Evermann and Fordice asAmeiurus melas(C-133).
The black bullhead was taken at slightly more than half of the stations, and probably was present at others. Larger numbers were taken in Grouse Creek than in any other stream system. In many small, shallow pools in the Grouse Creek system young black bullheads shared dominance withGambusia affinisin the late summer.I. melaswas also abundant in isolated pools at the extreme upper ends of Crab Creek, Beaver Creek and Grand Summit Creek.I. melaswas most common in areas with silty bottoms. The species seemed scarce in the main stream of Big Caney River but was common in some of its tributaries.
Pylodictis olivaris(Rafinesque): Stations A-3, G-1, C-5.
Flathead catfish were taken by angling at stations A-3 and C-5. At station G-1 (September 5) a flathead catfish five inches long was taken in the four-foot nylon net.
Ictalurus punctatus(Rafinesque): Stations A-3, W-2, W-3, G-2, C-5, E-4.
Channel catfish from stations W-3, A-3, and C-5 were taken on hook and line. At station G-2 (August 29) twenty young-of-the-year were seined from the shallow narrow end of a large pool. All collections of bothI. punctatusandP. olivariswere in the larger streams surveyed.
Ictalurus natalis(LeSueur): Stations G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-8, G-11, C-12, C-14, C-15.
The yellow bullhead was taken at only 9 stations, compared with 33 stations for the black bullhead.I. nataliswas representedin 7 of 17 stations in the Grouse Creek system but in only 3 of 18 stations in the Big Caney system. Of the seven records from Grouse Creek four were from the main stream. At every station where yellow bullheads were taken, black bullheads were found also and were abundant, usually several times more abundant thanI. natalis.
At G-11 on Crab Creek (July 16),I. natalismade up 3.8 per cent of the fish taken. All were young-of-the-year, existing in a tiny, gravelly pool containing not more than five gallons of water, and were the only fish present. Young yellow bullheads were also found in small pools with gravel bottoms at station G-4 on September 7.
Labidesthes sicculus(Cope): Stations G-1, G-2, G-3, G-7, G-10, B-2, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-12, E-1, E-2, E-3, E-7, M-1 (E&F, C-131).
The brook silversides was taken, sometimes abundantly, in all stream systems except the Walnut and Arkansas. At station G-7 on July 8, 41.8 per cent of the fish taken were of this species.L. sicculuswas most abundant in large pools where the bottom was predominantly bedrock and gravel. The highest concentrations were in the mainstreams of Big Caney, Grouse, and Elk Rivers. Brook silversides were taken rarely in the smaller tributaries of these streams.
Percina phoxocephala(Nelson): Stations C-2, C-3, C-5, G-1 (C-133).
Slenderhead darters were scarce, and were found only over gravel bottoms. Specimens were taken from flowing and quiet water, and from both shallow and deep water.
Larger numbers ofP. phoxocephalawere taken by the writer in other collections made during 1956 on the Neosho and Verdigris Rivers over bottoms of rubble or gravel. Restriction of this darter to the larger streams follows a pattern observed by Cross (1954a:313) who noted it was absent from smaller riffles in minor tributaries. Elliott (1947), however, took one specimen ofP. phoxocephalain Spring Creek, a tributary of Fall River.
Percina caprodes carbonaria(Baird and Girard): Stations G-3, G-4, G-7, G-12, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-9, C-12, C-13, C-14 (J&J, C-131, C-133).
The logperch was generally distributed in the Caney, Elk, and Grouse systems. This species usually comprised less than 1 per cent of the fish taken; however, at station G-12 it formed 3.76 per cent of the total.
In many instances the logperch was taken over submerged gravel bars, often along the edges of the larger pools. At 8 of 13 stations where the logperch was taken, the golden redhorse was also found. At every station where logperch were found,Notropis umbratiliswas taken andPimephales notatusalso occurred at all but three of these stations.
Percina copelandi(Jordan): Stations C-4, C-5, C-6, C-8, G-1 (C-131, C-133, J&J).
Channel darters were collected over bottoms of rubble or gravel, both in flowing streams and in isolated pools. AlthoughP. copelandiwas found only in Big Caney River and at the lowermost station on Grouse Creek (G-1) in this survey, this species has been taken previously from Elk River (K. U. 3463 and K. U. 3197) and from Silver Creek.Notropis camurusoccurred everywhere thatH. copelandiwas found. In several instances the two species were taken in the same seine-haul.
Etheostoma spectabile pulchellum(Girard): Stations W-4, G-1, G-4, G-5, C-6, C-9, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, C-17, C-18, E-1, E-5. Evermann and Fordice asEtheostoma coeruleum(C-131, C-132).
The habitat preferences of the orangethroat darter seemed similar to those ofCampostoma anomalum. There were sixteen stations at which both species were taken, seven where onlyE. spectabile pulchellumwas taken and six where onlyC. anomalumwas taken. The largest relative numbers of both species were found in the same small, clear upland tributaries of Big Caney River. On May 31, collections from riffles at station C-15 (upper Otter Creek) consisted almost entirely of these two species. On September 1 at this station the stream was intermittent, but even the tiniest pools abounded with young darters and stonerollers.
Gravid females and males in breeding condition were taken in riffles in Cedar Creek on April 2. During June numerous young and adult orangethroat darters were taken in Cedar Creek, in partly decayed leaves which lined the banks. On June 15 in Otter Creek young darters were abundant in streamside detritus and in clear, shallow, rubble riffles. At station C-11 a few darters were taken on rubble riffles; however, large numbers were found inhabiting thick mats ofPotamogeton foliosusRaf., which grew in shallow water. Many darters (Etheostoma spectabile pulchellumandPercina phoxocephala) were taken in September along gravelly banks at stations C-2 and C-3 by disturbing small rocks and leaf-litter along the shores. Young orangethroat darters seemed to seekout sheltered areas and in some cases were found in sluggish, even foul, water (Stations W-4, B-1 and G-12). Moore and Buck (1953:26) note that the orangethroat darter is able to thrive in Oklahoma in rather sluggish and even intermittent waters which reach quite high summer temperatures.
Unlike other darters taken in this survey, the orangethroat darter was common to abundant at several stations and was found at a great many more stations than any other darter. The comparatively great tolerance of this species to varying habitats, suggested by this survey, is also reflected by its widespread distribution in Kansas.
Micropterus salmoides salmoides(Lacepede): Stations B-1, G-4, G-5, G-7, G-12, C-1, C-3, E-1, E-2, E-3.
Most of the largemouth bass taken were young-of-the-year. In Big Caney River this species seemed rare, being found at only two downstream stations compared with eight stations at whichM. punctulatuswas taken.
Many ponds in the Flint Hills have been stocked with largemouth bass. At present largemouth bass are frequently caught by hook and line in Crab Creek (Station G-12); however, Mr. A. C. Metcalf, who has fished this stream for approximately 45 years, states that he took no bass in the creek prior to the building and stocking of large ponds on nearby ranches.
Micropterus punctulatus(Rafinesque): Stations C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-10, C-14, C-15, E-2, E-5 (C-133).
The spotted bass was taken only in tributaries of the Verdigris River, where it seemed more numerous than the preceding species. It has been reported from other Verdigris tributaries such as Fall River (Elliott, 1947) and is common eastward from the Verdigris Basin. A spotted bass (K. U. 3467) was taken by Cross on the Little Walnut River in Butler County on April 5, 1955. This seems to be the only record of this species from the Walnut River Basin at the present time.
Pomoxis annularis(Rafinesque): Stations W-3, W-5, G-1, G-2, G-5, G-10, G-11, G-12, C-1, C-2, C-4, C-5, C-6, M-1, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5 (C-136).
White crappie were found in almost all habitats and were taken in all rivers except the Arkansas. The relative abundance of this species was greater at downstream than at upstream stations on Grouse Creek, Big Caney, and Elk River. Schools of young crappie were frequently found and the factor of chance in taking or failing to take a school of crappie prevented confident appraisal of abundance. White crappie usually sought quiet waters. Often theywere found in backwaters and many times schools were taken over bottoms where mud and detritus had been deposited. It was not uncommon to takePomoxis annularisandIctalurus melasin the same seine-haul in such areas.
Pomoxis nigromaculatus(LeSueur): Station C-1.
Black crappie were taken in Otter Creek on May 29 and September 3. Several ponds in eastern Cowley County are stocked with black crappie, but none was taken from streams into which these ponds drain.
Lepomis cyanellus(Rafinesque): Stations W-3, W-4, W-5, B-1, B-2, B-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-12, G-13, G-14, G-15, G-16, G-17, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-14, C-16, C-17, C-18, E-1, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, M-2 (C-131, C-132, C-133, C-136, E&F).
The green sunfish was taken at 45 of 60 stations, which is the greatest number recorded for one species. The only stream from which it was not obtained was the Arkansas River. Green sunfish constituted a minor but consistent part of the fauna in Big Caney River except for some intermittent pools on small tributaries, where it was high in relative abundance. It usually comprised approximately 4 per cent of the fish taken at stations on Grouse Creek. In some intermittent tributaries of Grouse Creek and Elk River percentages also were high.
Funk and Campbell (1953:74) observed thatL. cyanellusheld a definite but minor place in all collections made on the Black River in Missouri. This pattern was also observed by the writer in collections made on the Neosho and Spring Rivers in southeastern Kansas. This seems to indicate that the Big Caney River populations (exclusive of the upstream stations in intermittent streams) follow a pattern commonly found in southeastern Kansas and probably in the Ozark region.
Lepomis humilis(Girard): Stations A-3, W-2, W-3, W-4, W-5, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11, G-12, G-14, G-15, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12, C-13, C-16, C-17, B-2, B-3, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, M-1. (C-131, C-132, C-133, C-136, J&J, E&F.)
The orangespotted sunfish was found in every stream surveyed, although only one specimen was taken from the Arkansas River.
The largest relative number of this species (44.6) was taken at station G-1. Percentages at other stations on Grouse Creek and its tributaries progressively declined in an upstream direction.
In Big Caney River representation ofL. humilisin collectionsvaried from 1.56 per cent at station C-1 to 23.47 per cent at station C-7. This sunfish was usually the dominant species in collections made from the Elk River, where the relative abundance ranged from 10 to 30 per cent.
The orangespotted sunfish is widespread in Kansas and seems to be a diagnostic constituent of the Plains Fauna. Moore and Buck (1953:26) found it "very common" in the Chikaskia River in Kansas and Oklahoma. Cross (1950:140) noted that in Stillwater Creek it seemed to be the most tolerant and consequently the most abundant of the stream's cent rarchids. Moore and Paden (1950:91) note thatL. humilisis most common in muddy waters and found in overflow pools, backwaters, and oxbow lakes. This species is frequently found in farm ponds in the area surveyed, which further suggests a wide range of habitat tolerance.
Lepomis megalotis breviceps(Baird and Girard): Stations W-3, W-4, W-5, B-1, B-2, G-1, G-4, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11, G-12, G-13 (all Big Caney River stations except C-18), E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6, M-1, M-2 (C-131, C-132, C-133, J&J, E&F).
In Big Caney River the longear sunfish shared dominance with the redfin shiner (Notropis umbratilis) at almost every station. The average of its relative abundance at all stations in the Big Caney system was 16.5 per cent. It was also abundant at several stations on Grouse Creek and made up 43.25 per cent of all fish taken at station G-4.
Cross (1950:140) observed thatL. megalotis brevicepsincreased in Stillwater Creek probably as a result of clearer water and stabilized water level.
In collections made west of the area treated here (Moore and Buck, 1953:26; Elliott, 1947) the longear sunfish is less abundant than in Big Caney River and Grouse Creek.
Lepomis macrochirus(Rafinesque): Stations W-3, G-3, G-4, G-5, C-3, C-5, E-1, E-2 (C-131, C-132, C-133).
The bluegill was, in all cases, a minor constituent in the fish fauna. No clear pattern of habitat preference can be deduced. In the Verdigris River at Independence (collection AM-53, August 22, 1956) bluegills were common in quiet pools and coves below a low-water dam. Moore and Paden (1950:91) note thatL. macrochirusprefers quiet waters and Hubbs and Lagler (1947:94) state that it is "generally restricted to the quieter pools."
The bluegill is widely-stocked in impoundments of the area treated here.
Aplodinotus grunniens(Rafinesque): Stations C-4, E-2.
The dearth of stations from which the freshwater drum is reported may indicate difficulty in taking this species with seines, rather than scarcity. Both collections were at downstream stations. At station C-4 three half-grown drum were taken. Fishermen take "drum" at least as far upstream as station C-5 on Big Caney River. In the Elk River one specimen was taken in a 20-foot seine below a dam at Elk Falls.