Etheostoma spectabile (Agassiz)
Orange-throated Darter
Orange-throated darters were common at the upper Marais des Cygnes and upper Neosho stations in 1959, rare at the middle and lower Neosho stations, and absent from the middle and lower Marais des Cygnes stations. The species was found almost exclusively on upstream riffles over gravel-rubble bottom. The population in the upper Neosho was decimated by drought, and the fish did not become common until the summer of 1959, the third year after resumption of normal stream-flow.
Deacon and Metcalf (1961:320) indicated that long periods of intermittency result in depletion or elimination of populations of the orange-throated darter in the Wakarusa River, Kansas. A limited number of orange-throated darters probably survived in the few permanent pools in the upper Neosho and provided the brood-stock necessary to repopulate this section of the stream.
Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque
Freshwater Drum
Drum were taken at all stations, but were most abundant at the middle and lower Neosho stations. A high level of abundance also was found in 1957 at the middle Marais des Cygnes station. The abundance of drum declined from 1957 to 1959, but the average size increased because of a dominant 1957 year-class that was moderately reduced by natural mortality in 1958-'59. Although the population was composed largely of young-of-the-year and adults in 1957, it was dominated by yearling individuals in 1958. By 1959 the number had declined considerably and the population consisted mostly of juveniles and adults. Fish of the 1957 year-class reached a length of approximately ten inches by mid-summer of 1959 (Table 8).
Adults were taken in a variety of habitats, but most often in quiet water. On the other hand, yearlings were extremely abundant in 1958 near shore in shallow, moderately fast water over rubble bottom at night. Drum were rare in the same areas in daylight (Table 9). Young-of-the-year occur in shallow, quiet water, usually over mud-bottom.
The freshwater drum matures at about 12 inches T. L. Ripe males were taken as late as 23 June 1959; however, the height of the spawning season probably is in May.
Table 8. Length-frequency of Freshwater Drum from the Middle Neosho Station in 1957, 1958 and 1959.
| Total length in inches | Aug. 19 1957 | Aug. 19-26 1958 | July 27-Aug. 4 1959 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | ||
| 3 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 4 | ||
| 5 | 1 | ||
| 6 | 12 | ||
| 7 | 21 | 1 | |
| 8 | 3 | 14 | 2 |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 12 | 2 | ||
| 13 | 2 | ||
| 14 | 1 |