Observations on the Distribution and Status of Western Sand Darter, Spotted Gar, and Skipjack Herring in Iowa Rivers

Authors

Travis E. Neebling, Iowa State University
Michael C. Quist, Iowa State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Research

Keywords

western sand darter, Ammocrypta clara, spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus, skipjack herring, Alosa chrysochloris, Iowa, endangered species, species of greatest conservation need, SGCN, fish distribution

Abstract

This paper describes new records of western sand darter (Ammocrypta clara), spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), and skipjack herring (Alosa chrysochloris) in Iowa's interior rivers. A western sand darter was collected from the Cedar River, Benton County, in 2007. Western sand darters are occasionally collected from the upper Mississippi River (UMR), but have not been sampled in interior rivers since 1958. Two spotted gar were collected from the Des Moines River, Polk and Wapello counties, in 2007. Two spotted gar were sampled from the UMR in 2000, but no spotted gar have been previously recorded from Iowa's interior rivers. A skipjack herring was sampled from the Des Moines River, Wapello County, in 2007. Skipjack herring are occasionally sampled in the UMR and the middle Missouri River, but have not been recorded beyond the lower extremes of Iowa's interior rivers since the early 1900s. All three species are listed as species of greatest conservation need in Iowa.

Publication Date

January-December 2008

Journal Title

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

115

Issue

1-4

First Page

24

Last Page

27

Copyright

© Copyright 2009 by the Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

EN

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Neebling, Travis E. and Quist, Michael C. (2008) "Observations on the Distribution and Status of Western Sand Darter, Spotted Gar, and Skipjack Herring in Iowa Rivers," Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS, 115(1-4), 24-27.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/jias/vol115/iss1/6