Fishes of the Big Blue River Basin, Kansas Part 4

The white sucker occurred primarily in upland streams of the Flint Hills, with one occurrence in muddy habitat, and one in the main stream of the Big Blue River. Young _C. commersonnii_ were often taken in riffles, but adults were in the larger, deeper pools. The ages and total lengths at the last annulus for 12 white suckers were: I, 2.8 (4); II, 3.9 (6); III, 8.2 (1); and IV, 9.2 (1).

=Cyprinus carpio= Linnaeus, carp: Canfield and Wiebe (1931:5-8, 10) as "carp." Stations 1-S, 2-S, 3-S, 4-S, 6-S, 7-G, 8-S, 15-S, 16-G, 18-G, 23-G, 24-G, 25-S, 27-G, 30-M, 35-M, 38-S, 41-S, 42-S, 43-S, 44-S, 45-M, 52-S, 53-S, and 56-S.

Carp occurred throughout the basin. The habitat of this species closely approximated that of the river carpsucker; however, carp were more often taken in moderate to swift water than were _C. c.

carpio_.

The ages and average lengths at the last annulus for 40 carp from the Big Blue River Basin were: I, 2.3 (4); II, 4.7 (10); III, 7.0 (10); IV, 9.0 (3); V, 11.3 (4); VI, 18.6 (1); VII, 18.9 (3); VIII, no fish; IX, 20.6 (3); X, 19.1 (2); XI, 21.1 (1); XII, 22.0 (1); and XIII, 24.1 (2).

=Cara.s.sius auratus= (Linnaeus), goldfish. Station 4-S.

I saw goldfish seined from Station 4-S by anglers obtaining bait on April 20, 1957. Goldfish were commonly used for bait at Stations 4-S and 54-S.

=Semotilus atromaculatus= (Mitchill), creek chub: Evermann and c.o.x (1896:399); and Jennings (1942:364) as _Semotilus atromaculatus atromaculatus_ (Mitchill). Stations 5-G, 7-G, 10-G, 11-G, 12-G, 13-G, 16-G, 17-G, 18-G, 23-G, 24-G, 27-G, 28-G, 29-G, 31-G, 32-G, 33-M, 34-M, 36-M, 37-M, 40-M, 46-M, 47-M, 48-M, 49-M, 50-S, 53-S, 54-G, 55-M, 56-S, 57-M, 58-G, and 59-G.

Creek chubs were found in all habitats in the Big Blue River Basin, but were abundant only in the headwaters of muddy streams and in clear upland creeks.

=Chrosomus erythrogaster= (Rafinesque), southern redbelly dace: Jennings (1942:365). Stations 11-G, 12-G, 13-G, 16-G, 27-G, 29-G, and 53-S.

This colorful species occupied the headwaters of the clear, spring-fed creeks where it was abundant. Only one specimen was taken in muddy or sandy habitat (at the mouth of a small creek at Station 53-S), where it may have been washed by floods just prior to my collecting.

=Hybopsis storeriana= (Kirtland), silver chub. Station 3-S.

One specimen of _H. storeriana_ (KU 3810) was seined in swift water near a sandbar on April 6, 1957, and another was taken at the same locality on April 26, 1958.

=Hybopsis aestivalis= (Girard), speckled chub: Meek (1895:137); and Evermann and c.o.x (1896:409), both as _Hybopsis hyostomus_ Gilbert.

Stations 3-S, 4-S, 14-S, 25-S, 38-S, 39-S, 50-S, and 56-S.

This species was restricted to wide, swift parts of the Big Blue and Little Blue rivers, and was found over clean, sometimes s.h.i.+fting, sand bottoms. On May 29, 1958, three males in breeding condition were collected and on June 16, 1958, a large series of both male and female _H. aestivalis_, all with well-developed gonads, was collected. The water temperature was 77.0F. Hubbs and Ortenburger (1929:25-26) reported that _Extrarius tetranemus_ (Gilbert) (= _Hybopsis aestivalis tetranemus_) sp.a.w.ns in summer especially in early July. Cross (1950:135) reported a single pair of _H. a.

tetranemus_ that he considered in breeding condition on June 9, 1948.

Breukelman (1940:380) recorded speckled chubs in the Kansas River Basin as _Extrarius_ (= _Hybopsis_) _aestivalis_: _sesquialis_ _tetranemus_; however, the name _sesquialis_ is a _nomen nudum_, and the status of this species in the Kansas River Basin is yet to be elucidated.

=Phenacobius mirabilis= (Girard), plains suckermouth minnow: Meek (1895:136); and Evermann and c.o.x (1896:408). Stations 2-S, 3-S, 4-S, 5-G, 6-S, 7-G, 8-S, 9-G, 11-G, 16-G, 18-G, 25-S, 26-G, 27-G, 35-M, 38-S, 39-S, 40-M, 42-S, 47-M, 50-S, 52-S, 53-S, 54-G, and 56-S.

_Phenacobius mirabilis_ was widespread in the basin, occurring most frequently on riffles over bottoms of clean sand or gravel.

Young-of-the-year were usually taken in backwaters.

=Notropis percobromus= (Cope), plains s.h.i.+ner. Stations 3-S and 4-S.

The plains s.h.i.+ner occurred only in the lower part of the main stream of the Big Blue River.

=Notropis rubellus= (Aga.s.siz), rosyface s.h.i.+ner. Station 5-G.

One rosyface s.h.i.+ner (KU 4195) was taken. This species was previously reported from only two localities in the Kansas River Basin: in the Mill Creek Watershed, Wabaunsee County, and Blacksmith Creek, Shawnee County as _Notropis rubrifrons_ (Cope) (Gilbert, 1886:208).

Mill Creek and Blacksmith Creek are northward-flowing tributaries of the Kansas River that arise in the Flint Hills. Graham (1885:73) also recorded _N. rubellus_ (as _N. rubrifrons_) from the "Kansas and Missouri Rivers"; however, I suspect that his specimens were _Notropis percobromus_, a species not generally recognized in Graham's time (see Hubbs, 1945:16-17). _Notropis rubellus_ is now abundant in the Mill Creek Watershed (Wabaunsee County), but, except for my specimen No. 4195, has not been taken recently in other streams in the Kansas River Basin.

=Notropis umbratilis umbratilis= (Girard), redfin s.h.i.+ner. Station 3-S.

One specimen of _N. u. umbratilis_ was captured near a sandbar on March 26, 1958. The absence of this species in Flint Hills streams of the Big Blue River Basin is unexplained; redfin s.h.i.+ners occur commonly in southern tributaries of the Kansas River both upstream and downstream from the mouth of the Big Blue River. In Kansas this species is usually a.s.sociated with the larger pools of clear, upland streams.

Canfield and Wiebe (1931:6-8) may have referred to this species in recording "black-fin minnows" from the Nebraskan portion of the Big Blue River Basin.

=Notropis cornutus frontalis= (Aga.s.siz), common s.h.i.+ner. Stations 4-S, 5-G, 7-G, 10-G, 11-G, 12-G, 13-G, 18-G, 22-G, 26-G, 27-G, 28-G, 29-G, 31-G, 32-G, and 59-G.

Common s.h.i.+ners were most abundant in middle sections of the clear, gravelly creeks.

=Notropis lutrensis= (Baird and Girard), red s.h.i.+ner: Meek (1895:136); and Evermann and c.o.x (1896:404-405). All stations excepting 1-S, 17-G, 30-M, and 51-M.

Red s.h.i.+ners were the most widespread species taken in my survey, occurring in all habitats, and in all kinds of streams. On two occasions I observed what apparently was sp.a.w.ning behavior of this species. Both times the specimens collected were in the height of breeding condition, stripping in the hand easily, and often without pressure. At the first locality (Station 29-G) no attempt was made to obtain eggs, but by disturbing the bottom at the second (55-M) I found eggs that were thought to be those of red s.h.i.+ners. The eggs were slightly adhesive, clinging to the hand and to the bobbinet seine.

On June 29, 1958, at Station 29-G, red s.h.i.+ners appeared to be sp.a.w.ning in an open-water area measuring about 15 by 15 feet, over nests of _Lepomis cyanellus_ Rafinesque and _L. humilis_ (Girard).

No interspecific activity was noted between the sunfish and the red s.h.i.+ners. Water temperature at this station was 73.4F., and the bottom was gravel, sand, and mud. Observations were made from a high cut-bank, by naked eye and by use of 7-X binoculars.

The red s.h.i.+ners moved rapidly at the surface of the water, with one male (rarely two or more) following one female. The male followed closely, pa.s.sing the female and causing her to change direction. At the moment of the female's hesitation, prior to her turn, the male would erect his fins in display, at the side and a little in front of the female. After brief display, usually less than two seconds, the male resumed the chase, swimming behind and around the female in a spiral fas.h.i.+on. After a chase of two to three feet, the female would sometimes allow the male to approach closely on her left side.

The male nudged the female on the caudal peduncle and in the a.n.a.l region, moving alongside with his head near the lower edge of the left operculum of the female, thus placing his genital pore about a head-length behind and below that of the female. At this time sp.a.w.ning must have occurred; however, possibly because of the speed of the chase, I observed no vibration of the fish as described for other species of _Notropis_ at the culmination of sp.a.w.ning (Pfeiffer, 1955:98; Raney, 1947:106; and others). While the sp.a.w.ning act presumably occurred the pair was in forward motion in a straight course, for three to five feet, at the end of which the male moved rapidly away, gyrating to the side and down. The female then swam away at a slower rate. In instances when the female failed to allow the male to move alongside, the male sometimes increased his speed, striking the female, and often causing her to jump from the water.

Some conflict between males was observed, usually when two or more followed one female. The males would leave the female, swerve to one side, and stop, facing each other or side by side. At this moment the fins were greatly elevated in display. There was usually a rush on the part of one male, resulting in the flight of the other, and the aggressive male would pursue for about two feet. Many times the pursued male jumped from the water.

At Station 55-M, on July 9, 1958, activity similar to that described above was observed in a small pool near a ma.s.s of debris. At this station I watched from the bank, three feet from the sp.a.w.ning s.h.i.+ners. Water temperature was not recorded.

The minnows performed the same types of chase and display, all in open water, as described for Station 29-G, However, at Station 55-M, much activity of males occurred near the small deposit of debris. It seemed that conflict was taking place, with males behaving as described above, and milling violently about. Examination of the area revealed nests of _L. cyanellus_ near the debris, and some of the activity by the s.h.i.+ners may have been raids on nests of the sunfish. However, females nearing the group of males were immediately chased by one to four individual males, with one usually continuing pursuit after a short chase by the group. The male again moved into position at the lower left edge of the operculum of the female as at Station 29-G.

Another kind of behavior was observed also, in which the female sometimes stopped. The male approached, erecting his fins and arching his body to the left. The female also a.s.sumed this arch to the left, and the pair moved in a tight, counter-clockwise circle, with the male on the inside. After a short period in this position, the male moved aside in display, and gyrated to the side and down.

Females at both stations moved about slowly, usually remaining in the immediate vicinity of activity by males, and returning to the area even when pursued and deserted some distance away.

=Notropis deliciosus= (Girard), sand s.h.i.+ner: Meek (1895:136); Evermann and c.o.x (1896:402), both as _Notropis blennius_ (Girard); and Jennings (1942:365) as _Notropis deliciosus missuriensis_ (Cope). All stations excepting 1-S, 10-G, 12-G, 17-G, 20-G, 21-G, 22-G, 24-G, 29-G, 30-M, 31-G, 32-G, 33-M, 35-M, 51-M, 55-M, 57-M, 58-G, and 59-G.

Nelson (personal communication) has studied the sand s.h.i.+ner in Kansas, and has found that the Big Blue River is an area of intergradation between the southwestern subspecies (_deliciosus_) and the plains subspecies (_missuriensis_). _Notropis d. deliciosus_ prefers cool, rocky habitat, and occurs in small streams of the Flint Hills, whereas _N. d. missuriensis_ occupies the sandy, turbid Big Blue and Little Blue rivers. Intergrades occur most frequently in the Big Blue River, but are found in all habitats.

=Notropis topeka= (Gilbert), Topeka s.h.i.+ner: Meek (1895:136); Evermann and c.o.x (1896:403); and Minckley and Cross (in press).

Stations 10-G, 11-G, 12-G, 19-G, 31-G, and 32-G.

This species was common locally in the upland streams. Female Topeka s.h.i.+ners stripped easily at Station 11-G on July 8, 1958, and adult _N. topeka_ in high breeding condition were collected at Station 31-G on July 14, 1958. The water temperature at both stations was 77.5F. Evermann and c.o.x (1896:403-404) recorded female Topeka s.h.i.+ners "nearly ripe" on June 29, 1893.

=Notropis buchanani= Meek, ghost s.h.i.+ner. Stations 3-S and 4-S. Only two specimens of _N. buchanani_ were taken, both on August 14, 1957.

These specimens (KU 3833), a female with well-developed ova, and a tuberculate male, were near a sandbar in the main channel. To my knowledge, this is the first published record of the ghost s.h.i.+ner from the Kansas River Basin. Mr. James Booth, State Biological Survey, collected _N. buchanani_ from two stations on Mill Creek, Wabaunsee County, Kansas, 1953.

=Hybognathus nuchalis= Aga.s.siz, silvery minnow. Stations 2-S, 3-S, 4-S, 7-G, 8-S, and 16-G.

This species was taken sporadically, but sometimes abundantly, in the Big Blue River. At Stations 7-G and 16-G a few young-of-the-year were found.

TABLE 2. COMPARISONS OF THREE SERIES OF _HYBOGNATHUS_, 50 SPECIMENS EACH, FROM DIFFERENT STREAM SYSTEMS.

TABLE LEGEND: Column A: [=X] = MEAN;, Column B: [sigma] = ONE STANDARD DEVIATION; Column C: 2 [sigma]_{m} = TWO STANDARD ERRORS.

RANGES ARE IN PARENTHESES.