Low-water Crossings Research Articles

Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Fishes of Big Creek in Trego, Ellis, and Russell Counties, Kansas

Seven taxa of aquatic invertebrates and 27 species of fish are reported from a biological survey of Big Creek in Trego, Ellis, and Russell counties, Kansas conducted during 1983 and 1984. The present fauna is compared to previous faunal surveys. A biological survey of Big Creek was conducted in Trego, Ellis, and Russell counties, Kansas during 1983 and 1984. The objective of the study was to determine the species of fish and selected taxa of aquatic invertebrates that inhabit the stream and to compare this information with previous accounts published since 1870. The channel of Big Creek originates in northwestern Gove County and courses to the southeast through Trego, Ellis, and southwestern Russell counties where it joins the Smoky Hill River. The portion of the channel that normally has flowing water in the spring extends from central Trego County through Ellis County to the confluence with the Smoky Hill River. Big Creek is an intermittent stream, and during the summer, fall, and early winter, the stream often is composed of isolated pools throughout most of its length. The bottom substrate is sand, silt, or gravel. The pH varies from 7.0 to 8.5 and specific conductance usually is between 280 and 2150 micromhos per centimeter at 25 degrees C (U.S. Geological Survey, 1964-1975, 1970-1983; Kansas Fish and Game Comm., 1979). A relatively large dam at Ellis in western Ellis County impounds approximately 100 surface acres of water when the pool is full and provides a unique habitat on the stream for some species of fish and other aquatic organisms that would otherwise be absent from Big Creek. Smaller dams and low-water bridges have been built in the area from Hays, in central Ellis County, to southwestern Russell County. These structures create pools of water in the summer and fall which enable fish and other organisms to survive in the creek as water levels decline, but the dams also have the This content downloaded from 157.55.39.231 on Wed, 05 Oct 2016 04:30:18 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms VOLUME 89, NUMBERS 3-4 147 Table 1. Species of macroinvertebrates from Big Creek previously reported and collected during the 1983-1984 survey. Previous reports 1983-1984 survey

Population Composition and Dispersal Pattern of Pomphorhynchus bulbocolli in Hypentelium nigricans from the West Fork of Drake's Creek, Kentucky

The seasonal prevalence and intensity of infection, infrapopulation composition and dispersal pattern of Pomphorhynchus bulbocolli were studied in Hypentelium nigricans from the West Fork of Drake's Creek, Kentucky. From February 1977 through November 1981, 165 H. nigricans were collected and examined. The prevalence of P. bulbocolli was 81.2%o and the mean intensity was 30.68 i 3.43. No significant differences were observed in the prevalence or intensity of infections in male and female H. nigricans. There were significant differences in the seasonal prevalence and mean intensity of infection; both were low in winter and high in summer. The sex ratio was relatively constant in all seasons with infrapopulations composed of slightly more females than males. Gravid females were recovered during all seasons. The smallest mean body lengths of both sexes occurred in the summer. This, with the highest seasonal mean intensity of infection, indicated that summer was the season of maximum recruitment. There was a positive correlation between total length of H. nigricans and the number of P. bulbocolli but not between the coefficient of condition of the fish and the number of parasites. Pomphorhyncus bulbocolli were clumped (overdispersed) in the H. nigricans population. INTRODUCTION The acanthocephalan, Pomphorhynchus bulbocolli Linkins, is a common endohelminth of fishes in the eastern United States; it has been reported from 81 host species (Samuel et al., 1976). The ecology of P. bulbocolli has been described in white suckers Catostomus commersoni Lacepede, from both lentic (Lawrence, 1970) and lotic environments (Muzzall, 1980). The present report is directed at the seasonal prevalence and intensity of infection, infrapopulation composition and dispersal pattern of P. bulbocolli in the northern hogsucker Hypentelium nigricans (Lesueur) from a small lotic environment in S-central Kentucky. MATERIALS AND METHODS From February 1977 to November 1981, northern hogsuckers were collected from the West Fork of Drake's Creek, 12 km N of Franklin, Simpson Co., Kentucky. The collection station consisted of a stretch of four riffles and three pools, approximately 150 m long, bisected by a low-water bridge. At the station, Drake's Creek is an Order IV stream, with a substrate of gravel and bedrock. It is a part of the Barren River drainage. The amphipod intermediate host, Gammarus pseudolimnaeus Bousfield, occurs in large numbers in the riffle areas. Fish were collected by electrofishing and seining. After return to the laboratory, fish were killed and the weight, total length and sex were determined. The intestinal tract was removed intact and divided into the regions A, B, Cl, C2, C3 and C4, as described by Amin (1975). The tract was opened and the number and location of Pomphorhyncus bulbocolli determined. The parasites were placed in distilled water at 7 C for 48-96 hr and then fixed in A.F.A. Whole mounts of worms with intact trunks were made using standard techniques. The trunk length, sex and state of maturity of each specimen were determined. Females were classified as being immature (ovary intact), mature (ovarian balls present) or gravid (shelled acanthors present). Males with sperm in the seminal vesicle were classified as mature and those without sperm as immature.

First Record of the Tadpole Madtom [Noturus gyrinus (Mitchill)] from the Kansas River Basin

This note reports the capture of two tadpole madtoms (Noturus gyrinus) from the Wakarusa River, representing the first reported occurrences in the Kansas River drainage and the two westernmost records for this species in Kansas. A single adult specimen, 45 mm in standard length, was taken while electrofishing on 15 April 1981, 0.5 km downstream from a low water bridge SW of Topeka, Kansas (Shawnee County, NW/4, SW/4, S26, T13S, R15E). A single juvenile specimen, 16 mm in standard length was taken with a dip net on 20 July 1981 at a second low water bridge SE of Topeka (Shawnee County, NW'4, SW14, S25, T13S, RI6E). Attempts to collect other individuals were unsuccessful.

Food Habits of the Orangebelly Darter, Etheostoma radiosum cyanorum (Osteichthyes: Percidae)

The orangebelly darter, Etheostoma racdiosum cyanorum, changed its food habits as it increased in size. The young fed primarily on copepods and cladocerans. When the darters reached approximately 16 mm in total length their primary source of food consisted of ephemerids and dipteran larvae. Darters from 22 to 30 mm in total length relied mainly on small ephemerids, dipteran larvae, hydropsychids and baetids. The food of the adult darters consisted primarily of the aquatic larvae and naiads of five families of insects: Tendipedidae (= Chironomidae), Baetidae, Hydropsychidae, Ephemeridae and Simuliidae. The food eaten by the various sizes of darters appeared to be dependent upon the preferability, availability and vulnerability of the food organisms present in the stream. INTRODUCTION The orangebelly darter, Etheostoma radiosum (Hubbs and Black), inhabits streams of southwestern Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. There are three subspecies of this darter; one of these subspecies, E. r. cyanorum, is found only in the Blue River and its tributaries in southeastern Oklahoma. No work has previously been reported conceming its food habits. The present study was conducted to determine the food organisms utilized Iby the darters in the various stages of their life cycle and also their relative utilization of the food organisms present in the stream. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA The Blue River is located in Bryan, Johnston and Pontotoc counties, Oklahoma. It rises in Pontotoc Co. 6 miles W of Fittstown and flows in a southeasterly direction for approx 110 miles to where it joins the Red River. It is primarily spring-fed. The study darters were collected at two locations. The first location was on the Blue River itself, at a low-water bridge, 1 mile E of Connerville, Okla. The second location was on a tributary of the Blue River, the Diamond Spring Branch, 3 miles S and 1 mile E of Connerville. MATERIALS AND METHODS For 1 year, August 1968 through July 1969, bimonthly collections of orangebelly darters were made with a 6 x 4 ft, one-eighth inch mesh seine and a 4 x 3 ft habitat seine. The fish collected ranged in size from young stages, when they were present, to large adult darters. All fish were initially preserved in 10% formalin; they were later washed and put into 70% ethyl alcohol. In the laboratory, stomachs were excised and their contents identified under a binocular dissecting scope. In order to obtain relative volumes for the types of food organisms present, a displacement tech-