Fishes of Chautauqua, Cowley and Elk Counties, KansasMetcalf, Artie L.
Science
Fishes of Chautauqua, Cowley and Elk Counties, Kansas
Metcalf, Artie L.
Fishes -- Kansas
Unlike other darters taken in this survey, the orangethroat darter was
common to abundant at several stations and was found at a great many
more stations than any other darter. The comparatively great tolerance
of this species to varying habitats, suggested by this survey, is also
reflected by its widespread distribution in Kansas.
#Micropterus salmoides salmoides# (Lacepede): Stations B-1, G-4, G-5,
G-7, G-12, C-1, C-3, E-1, E-2, E-3.
Most of the largemouth bass taken were young-of-the-year. In Big Caney
River this species seemed rare, being found at only two downstream
stations compared with eight stations at which _M. punctulatus_ was
taken.
Many ponds in the Flint Hills have been stocked with largemouth bass. At
present largemouth bass are frequently caught by hook and line in Crab
Creek (Station G-12); however, Mr. A. C. Metcalf, who has fished this
stream for approximately 45 years, states that he took no bass in the
creek prior to the building and stocking of large ponds on nearby
ranches.
#Micropterus punctulatus# (Rafinesque): Stations C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7,
C-8, C-10, C-14, C-15, E-2, E-5 (C-133).
The spotted bass was taken only in tributaries of the Verdigris River,
where it seemed more numerous than the preceding species. It has been
reported from other Verdigris tributaries such as Fall River (Elliott,
1947) and is common eastward from the Verdigris Basin. A spotted bass
(K. U. 3467) was taken by Cross on the Little Walnut River in Butler
County on April 5, 1955. This seems to be the only record of this
species from the Walnut River Basin at the present time.
#Pomoxis annularis# (Rafinesque): Stations W-3, W-5, G-1, G-2, G-5,
G-10, G-11, G-12, C-1, C-2, C-4, C-5, C-6, M-1, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5
(C-136).
White crappie were found in almost all habitats and were taken in all
rivers except the Arkansas. The relative abundance of this species was
greater at downstream than at upstream stations on Grouse Creek, Big
Caney, and Elk River. Schools of young crappie were frequently found and
the factor of chance in taking or failing to take a school of crappie
prevented confident appraisal of abundance. White crappie usually sought
quiet waters. Often they were found in backwaters and many times
schools were taken over bottoms where mud and detritus had been
deposited. It was not uncommon to take _Pomoxis annularis_ and
_Ictalurus melas_ in the same seine-haul in such areas.
#Pomoxis nigromaculatus# (LeSueur): Station C-1.
Black crappie were taken in Otter Creek on May 29 and September 3.
Several ponds in eastern Cowley County are stocked with black crappie,
but none was taken from streams into which these ponds drain.
#Lepomis cyanellus# (Rafinesque): Stations W-3, W-4, W-5, B-1, B-2, B-3,
G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-12, G-13, G-14, G-15, G-16,
G-17, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12,
C-13, C-14, C-16, C-17, C-18, E-1, E-4, E-5, E-6, E-7, M-2 (C-131,
C-132, C-133, C-136, E&F).
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