Neosho River Iarval fish in Coffey County.

Abstract

The 1981 larval fish drift of the Neosho River upstream and downstream of John Redmond Reservoir in Coffey County, Kansas, was studied. Field data were collected from 25 April through 31 July. A total of 27,905 eggs, larvae, and juvenile fish, representing 11 families and 30 taxa, was collected from t.hree sampling points. Members of the families Catostomidae (48.5%) and Clupeidae (48.3%) dominated the assemblage at Hartford whereas Clupeidae was solely dominant at both John Redmond (98.0% diurnally and 95.2% nocturnally) and Burlington, although to a lesser degree at aurlington (81.4%). Larval fish densities at Hartford peaked at 1246.7/100m3 on 28 May while maximum densities for both diurnal and nocturnal John Redmond collections peaked 3 at over 5000/100m on 13 June, and the maximum level at 3 Burlington occurred at 1766.4/100mon 19 June. No statistically significant differences were found in mean daily total concentrations or day/night John Redmond data. Morphological data were compiled and are present.ed in tabular form for 14 taxa. These data generally compare favorably with published accounts, thereby supporting taxonomic assignments made and documenting regional variation. The Pomoxis larvae identified had eye-gas bladder distances (as % total length) from 13 to 19, although Pomoxis annularis was the sole representative of this genus in the study area.