Distribution of Upper and Middle Ohio River Fishes, 1973–1985: I. Associations with Water Quality and Ecological Variables

Abstract

ABSTRACT More than 200,000 adult and juvenile fishes of 100 species were collected near five electric generating plants located in the upper and middle Ohio River during 1973 through 1985. Catches were dominated by Notropis atherinoides, Dorosoma cepedianum, Pimephales notatus, Ictalurus punctatus, Cyprinus carpio, Lepisosteus osseus, Lepomis macrochirus, Pomoxis annularis, Notropis blennius, and Aplodinotus grunniens. Twenty-nine species occurred with greater frequency in the upper Ohio River, whereas 17 species were found predominately in the middle Ohio River sampling areas. Classification of these species based upon mode of reproduction, habitat preference, and mode of feeding indicated a distinct prevalence of species typically associated with smaller, free-flowing streams at upper Ohio River sampling sites. Species typically found in large, slow-moving water bodies dominated at middle Ohio River sites. These fish distributional trends may be partially related to significant upper-middle Ohio River d...