Stream Habitat Types: Their Fish Assemblages and Relationship to Flow

Abstract

Abstract To simplify selection of target species for instream flow studies, 114 fish species–life stage combinations in six Minnesota streams were assigned membership in six habitat-preference guilds based on the habitat type supporting their highest densities. Shallow pools (<60 cm deep and velocities <30 cm/s) were preferred by most of the young-of-the-year fishes. Slow riffles (<60 cm deep and velocities 30–59 cm/s) were preferred by stonerollers Campostoma spp.; spawning sand shiners Notropis stramineus; adult river shiners N. blennius; juvenile, spawning, and age-0 suckers (Moxostonta spp., northern hog sucker Hypentelium nigricans, and white sucker Catostomus commersoni); and most age-0 darters (Etheostoma flabellare, E. nigrum, E. caeruleum, and Percina phoxocephala). Fast riffles (< 60 cm deep and velocities ≥60 cm/s) were preferred by adult longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae and most adult and spawning darters (Percina spp. and Etheostoma spp.). Raceways (60–149 cm deep and velocities ≥30 cm/s)...