Table 6.—Relative Abundance in Per Cent of Fishes in Collections From Three Stream Segments.
| Big Caney River | Grouse Creek | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower | Middle | Upper | Lower | Middle | Upper | |
| L. osseus | .7 | .5 | .6 | .02 | ||
| D. cepedianum | .3 | .02 | ||||
| Carpiodes carpio | .06 | 1.0 | ||||
| I. bubalus | .6 | .45 | 1.4 | |||
| I. cyprinella | .1 | |||||
| I. niger | .01 | |||||
| M. erythrurum | .2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .03 | .5 | 1.1 |
| M. melanops | .1 | .01 | .1 | |||
| Cyprinus carpio | .7 | 1.3 | .2 | |||
| C. anomalum | .6 | 5.9 | 18.0 | .1 | ||
| N. boops | .6 | .6 | 5.1 | 1.3 | ||
| N. buchanani | .01 | |||||
| N. camurus | 6.4 | 5.5 | .4 | |||
| N. lutrensis | 8.8 | 1.0 | .5 | 6.4 | 11.4 | 15.2 |
| N. percobromus | 1.1 | |||||
| N. rubellus | .4 | 1.4 | 3.9 | |||
| N. umbratilis | 17.6 | 28.3 | 15.4 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 5.5 |
| N. volucellus | .3 | .4 | .3 | |||
| P. mirabilis | .3 | |||||
| P. notatus | 3.5 | 5.7 | 13.0 | .9 | 6.6 | |
| P. vigilax | .8 | |||||
| P. promelas | 2.9 | |||||
| P. tenellus | .7 | .5 | .01 | |||
| G. affinis | 14.6 | .4 | .4 | 20.8 | 10.2 | 1.0 |
| F. notatus | .1 | 6.6 | 17.2 | 1.4 | ||
| I. melas | .9 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 5.6 | 2.3 | 18.0 |
| I. natalis | .5 | .5 | .8 | |||
| P. olivaris | .01 | .01 | ||||
| I. punctatus | .3 | .4 | ||||
| E. spectabile | 1.9 | 4.9 | 18.0 | .4 | .3 | .3 |
| P. copelandi | .8 | .1 | .01 | |||
| P. phoxocephala | .1 | .1 | ||||
| P. caprodes | .4 | .6 | .2 | .2 | .2 | .4 |
| M. salmoides | .06 | 1.1 | .3 | |||
| M. punctulatus | .5 | 1.7 | .4 | |||
| P. annularis | 3.9 | .8 | 2.9 | 4.2 | .3 | |
| L. cyanellus | 3.4 | .8 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 30.5 |
| L. humilis | 10.6 | 13.1 | 1.8 | 31.4 | 17.7 | 14.8 |
| L. megalotis | 12.4 | 22.3 | 12.0 | 3.6 | 14.0 | 1.7 |
| L. macrochirus | .3 | .2 | 1.3 | |||
| A. grunniens | .1 | |||||
| L. sicculus | 7.1 | 1.6 | .4 | 7.7 | 10.2 | |
Big Caney River
The "lower segment" of Big Caney River is immediately upstream from Hulah Reservoir, and is not the lowermost portion of the entire river basin, but merely the lower part of the river in the area studied. A conspicuous characteristic of the lower segment was the general restriction of the deep-bodied suckers and the carp to this part of the stream. Other fishes that were most common in the lower section were Pimephales vigilax, Percina phoxocephala, Gambusia affinis, and Aplodinotus grunniens. Labidesthes sicculus and Lepisosteus osseus ranged into the middle section of the stream, but were present in larger numbers downstream. Ictalurus punctatus, Pomoxis annularis, and Lepomis macrochirus were taken chiefly in downstream habitats; however, stocking has confused the distributional pattern of these species. Notropis lutrensis, although found throughout the system, progressively declined in numbers taken in the middle and upper sections. Approximately 18 species were usually taken in downstream collections.
No species were found exclusively in the middle section of the Big Caney system. Micropterus punctulatus, Notropis umbratilis, and Lepomis megalotis tended to be most common in the middle section of the main stream. These three species were taken together at stations C-5, C-6, C-8, and C-10.
The upper section yielded no species that did not occur also in another section. Fishes most abundant in the upper section included: Campostoma anomalum, Etheostoma spectabile, Notropis boops, Notropis rubellus, Pimephales notatus, and Lepomis cyanellus. Ictalurus natalis also seemed more common upstream than in lower parts of the basin.
Campostoma anomalum was one of the most common fishes taken at many of the stations on small upland tributaries. In downstream collections its relative abundance was less, although it was often concentrated on riffles.
In the Big Caney system as a whole Notropis umbratilis was the most abundant species. Several species were present throughout the system in proportions varying, sometimes greatly, from station to station. Lepomis megalotis and Lepomis humilis were erratic in occurrence, and the numbers of Notropis camurus and Ictalurus melas varied without pattern.
Grouse Creek
The fauna of the main stream of Grouse Creek fluctuated more in number and kinds of fish from station to station than did the fauna of Big Caney River. Again, the deep-bodied suckers showed downstream proclivities. In addition, Notropis buchanani, Pimephales tenellus, Percina copelandi, Percina phoxocephala, Notropis percobromus and Pylodictis olivaris were taken only at the lowermost station (G-1). At stations G-2 and G-3 the creek is sluggish and often turbid, meandering between high mud banks in a flood plain. At these stations Fundulus notatus, Gambusia affinis, Labidesthes sicculus, Ictalurus melas, and Lepomis humilis were the most common fishes. Shiners (Notropis spp.) and Lepomis megalotis were rarely taken. Hall (1953:36) states that Gambusia affinis, Fundulus notatus, and Labidesthes sicculus are usually associated with overflow pools, oxbows, and vegetated backwaters.
Those fishes mentioned in the preceding paragraph remained common in the middle section of the stream. In addition Notropis lutrensis, Notropis umbratilis, and Lepomis megalotis were important members of the fauna.
In the uppermost section shiners (Notropis spp.) were common. In the few upstream stations that were still in good condition with clear flowing water, the fauna resembled that of the upstream stations on Big Caney River. Most upstream stations on Grouse Creek were located on highly intermittent streams that are treated below.