Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque): Stations W-4, G-5, G-7, G-9, G-12, G-13, B-3, 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-15, C-16, C-17, C-18, M-1, M-2, E-1, E-2, E-4, E-5, E-7 (J&J, C-131, C-132, C-133).
This was much the most abundant of the four species of Pimephales in this area. It was taken at 33 stations as compared with 10 for P. tenellus, 8 for P. promelas, and 3 for P. vigilax.
The bluntnose minnow was taken almost everywhere except in the main stream of the Arkansas and Walnut rivers and in lower Grouse Creek. P. notatus seemed to prefer clearer streams of the Flint Hills part of my area. There was a marked increase in percentages taken in the upland tributaries of both Caney River and Grouse Creek. In the Elk River, too, higher concentrations were found upstream.
The highest relative numbers of bluntnose minnows were taken at station G-12 on Crab Creek, station C-12 on Cedar Creek and station C-16 on Spring Creek. At G-12, this minnow was abundant in the deeper isolated pools. Males in breeding condition were taken on June 9. In Cedar Creek the population of bluntnose minnows was observed periodically in one pool in which they were dominant. This pool was 100 feet by 50 feet, shallow, and with bedrock bottom. At its upper end, however, there was a small area of heavily-shaded deeper water. Throughout the spring bluntnose minnows were found in large schools in the shallow area. As the summer progressed they were no longer there, but seining revealed their presence in the deeper, upper end.
At station C-16 on Spring Creek on July 9 male P. notatus were taken in extreme breeding condition, being light brick-red in color and with large tubercles.
Pimephales tenellus (Girard): Stations G-1, C-2, C-3, C-5, C-6, C-7, C-8, M-1, E-2, E-4 (C-131 C-133).
The mountain minnow was never taken far from the mainstream of Big Caney, Middle Caney, or Elk River. In this respect it differed from P. notatus, which reached large concentrations in the small upland tributaries. On the other hand, P. tenellus was not so abundant as P. vigilax in the silty larger streams. In no collection was the mountain minnow common. The highest percentages were 2.4 per cent (Station C-5), and 2.1 per cent (Station C-7) on Big Caney River. These stations consisted of clear, flowing water over rubble bottoms. Males at C-7 (June 16) were in breeding condition.
Moore and Buck (1953:23) reported finding this species among rocks in very fast water rather than in the quiet backwaters frequented by P. vigilax. Other records of the mountain minnow from the Flint Hills indicate that it seeks areas of maximum gradient and flow; in this distributional respect it is like Notropis camurus. The two species are recorded together from other streams in this region such as the Chikaskia (Moore and Buck, 1953:23), Cottonwood (Cross, 1954a:310), and Spring Creek, tributary of Fall River (Elliott, 1947). It is conceivable that a preference for flowing water might explain its restriction to the medium-sized, less intermittent streams in this area. The only tributary which the species seemed to ascend to any extent was Otter Creek, which is seldom intermittent downstream.
Pimephales vigilax perspicuus (Girard): Stations A-3, C-1, C-4.