Minnows, Sculpins and a Sunfish Search, All
in a Day
by Jay DeLong
Photos by Jay DeLong, except where noted
On June 29, 1996, Oregon and Washington NANFA members and friends met in Albany,
Oregon, for a day of fish collecting. The day started at 8 AM, when we met and became
aquainted. Present were NANFA members Jay DeLong, Norm Edelen, Dan Logan, Pat McDonald,
Joe Middleton, Jonathan Short and Torrey Tyler; Greater Portland Aquarium Society members
Rachel Lusby and Wayne Yamashita; Dave Simon, Kim Gould and Chip Hill from Oregon State
University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, and Hillary Forster from West Albany High
School.
We had three goals for the day. First, we sampled Cox Creek to verify a previously
reported population of redbreast sunfish Lepomis auritus, which would be a record
for the state. To sample native minnows and suckers, we then traveled across town to the
confluence of the Calapooia and Willamette Rivers. Finally we traveled to the Marys River
near the town of Wren to collect sculpins.
Cox Creek is a tributary of the Willamette River located in Albany. It is slow-flowing
and shallow (generally less than 2 feet deep), with mud, sand and gravel substrate. We
fished with an elecrofisher at two sites in the creek and collected 8 fish species:
western brook lamprey Lampetra richardsoni, common carp Cyprinus carpio,
redside shiner Richardsonius balteatus, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides,
bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus,
yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis and prickly sculpin Cottus asper. We also
collected native noble crayfish Pacifasticus leniusculus and the exotic red swamp
crayfish Procambarus clarkii. We didn’t find any redbreast sunfish.
Click thumbnail image to view a larger image
Before sampling Cox Ck, Dan Logan demonstrated the use of the electroshocker
NANFA members Joe Middleton, Pat McDonald, Norm Edelen, Dan Logan and Rachel Lusby, along
with some friends, sampling Cox Creek
The green sunfish and bluegills were found in different habitats; we found green sunfish
in shallower water among bank vegetation and boulders, and bluegills were generally in
open water. The largemouth bass were found with the bluegills. Redside shiners were found
only in the clearer, faster-moving water.
Green sunfish
yellow bullhead
The Calapooia River at its confluence with Willamette River was the next site we visited.
We first sampled the river 100’ upstream of the Willamette, where it was about 40-ft
wide and too deep to sample all the way across. The substrate was silt, sand and gravel.
We used a ten-ft seine in shallow water and threw a cast net into deeper sections,
collecting the following species: white crappie Pomoxis annularis, northern
squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis, largescale sucker Catostomus macrocheilus,
largemouth bass, bluegill, mosquitofish Gambusia affinis, redside shiner,
chislemouth Acrocheilus alutaceus, and threespine stickleback Gasterosteus
aculeatus.
Sampling the Calapooia River are Dan Logan and some other poor seine-puller. The rest of
the gang are taking it easy.
Redside shiner, chiselmouth and Northern squawfish
The Willamette River at the mouth of the Calapooia River was fast and had gravel and
cobble substrate. In the swift, knee-deep water we collected northern squawfish,
largescale sucker, redside shiner, speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus and longnose
dace Rhinichthys cataractae. Threespine stickleback and mosquitofish were abundant
in the calm water along the shore.
Dan Logan
photo
Forming a fearsome wall of impenetrability are Jay DeLong, Rachael Lusby, Norm Edelen,
Hillary Forster, Chip Hill and Joe Middleton...
Wayne Yamashita photo
...then they head for shore to examine their catch.
Largescale sucker
Our final stop on this warm, sunny day was the Marys River. We used the electrofisher in
this 25-ft wide river. The substrate was primarily cobble, boulders and bedrock. Fish were
difficult to net in the swift waist-deep water, and many small ones floated away. One
adult Pacific lamprey Lampetra tridentata burst upstream when it felt the
electricity. We collected: Pacific lamprey, sandroller Percopsis transmontana,
torrent sculpin Cottus rhotheus, reticulate sculpin Cottus perplexis,
Paiute sculpin Cottus beldingi, prickly sculpin, northern squawfish, largescale
sucker, redside shiner, specked dace, and yellow bullhead. We found the sandrollers and
yellow bullhead to be associated with boulders in the quiet waters near shore, while the
sculpins were in the deeper, faster water. The minnows and suckers were found throughout
the site. While we splashed in the water and sat on the bank we were entertained by an
inquisitive long-tailed weasel on the bank only 10 feet away (Perhaps we were the
entertainment).
Chip Hill (in the green cap on the left) is sharing his sculpin knowledge with a captive
audience on the banks of the Marys River. Chip recently co-authored a sculpin
identification book.
Torrent sculpin
Sandroller
Long-tailed weasel
The day concluded at 7 PM. The weather, collecting and company had been terrific.
Click thumbnail image to view a larger image
