NANFA-- UAH Creek Report

Bruce Stallsmith (fundulus_at_hotmail.com)
Fri, 31 May 2002 16:53:21 -0400

<x-flowed>
The summer school Ichthyology class did a seine collection on the UAH (Univ.
of Alabama in Huntsville) campus yesterday. The system starts with a
high-volume spring erupting from the karst geology, runs through a
channelized stream (you know my rants...) into a stinky duck pond and then
through a larger, slow-moving creek. The species list was actually
interesting:

Dambusia
Bluegills
Redear sunfish (locally known as shellcrackers)
Green sunfish
Largemouth bass
Black crappies (including 2 'bout 30 cm long!)
Largescale stonerollers
Striped shiners

This system has been so altered and generally messed with that it's
impressive that 8 fish species are present. At least one species of Percina
darter was apparently present as recently as 20 years ago, probably P.
nigrofasciata (Blackbanded) from what I can reconstruct from eyewitness
accounts (no preserved specimens, alas).

I'm not teaching this class this summer; starting next summer, it looks like
I will after a retirement.

--Bruce Stallsmith
Huntsville, AL, US of A
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org
</x-flowed>