Recent collections of the Slenderhead darter, Percina phoxocephala (Nelson), from the Kansas River Basin

Abstract

The slenderhead darter, Percina phoxocephala (Nelson), is a moderate-sized darter reaching 80-mm standard length (SL). This species has a moderately long and pointed snout exceeding the eye diameter, terminal mouth, a broad submarginal band in the spinous dorsal fin, and variable numbers of darker blotches and saddles on the dorsum (Cross 1967, Cross and Collins 1995, Boschung and Mayden 2004, Kuehne and Barbour 1983, Miller and Robison 2004). Until recently (Eberle, Wenke, and Welker 1997), there were no known records of slenderhead darter from the Kansas River basin (Cross 1967, Thompson 1980, Cross and Collins 1995). Eberle, Wenke, and Welker (1997) commented on a single specimen taken 26 July 26 1994 (MHP 6636); ...it remains to be seen if this species has established a reproducing population within the Kansas River basin. Herein, we report collections of the species from previously unreported localities in the Kansas and Wakarusa rivers (Douglas County, Kansas) and from Stranger Creek (Leavenworth County, Kansas) made subsequent to the collection reported in Eberle, Wenke, and Welker (1997). We relied on communications with previous researchers and Geolocate computer software (Museum of Natural History, Tulane University) to determine latitude and longitude of collection localities.