ANNOTATED LIST OF SPECIES
Forty-eight species were obtained in this survey and five others have been recorded in literature or are deposited in museums: KSC = Kansas State College Museum; and UMMZ = University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Specimens, unless designated otherwise, are in the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History (KU).
In this list, the scientific name of each species is followed by the common name, citations of previous records, and the stations where the species was obtained. I follow Bailey (1956:328-329) in treating Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus), Catostomus commersonnii (Lacépède), Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill), Notropis lutrensis (Baird and Girard), Pimephales promelas Rafinesque, Ictalurus melas (Rafinesque), Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque), and Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, in binomial form only.
Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque), shovelnose sturgeon: Jennings (1942:364) as Scaphirhynchus platorhynchus (Rafinesque); Bailey and Cross (1954:191). Stations 3-S and 4-S.
Shovelnose sturgeon were found only in the lower portion of the Big Blue River. On April 20, 1957, many were seen in fishermen's creels at Stations 3-S and 4-S. One male and two females that I examined on that date were ripe or nearly so; eggs seemed well developed and milt flowed freely from the male. After April, 1957, none was collected or observed until April 26, 1958, when one specimen was obtained while shocking. Forbes and Richardson (1920:27) reported that shovelnose sturgeon spawn in Illinois between April and June, and Eddy and Surber (1947:80) reported spawning in May and early June in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Lepisosteus platostomus Rafinesque, shortnose gar: Jennings (1942:364). Stations 3-S and 4-S.
I saw shortnose gar at various times in 1956 and 1957 at Rocky Ford Dam on the Big Blue River (Station 4-S). One was seen while shocking at Station 3-S on December 26, 1957.
Lepisosteus osseus (Linnaeus), longnose gar: Jennings (1942:364) as Lepisosteus osseus oxyurus Rafinesque. Stations 1-S, 2-S, 3-S, 4-S, 6-S, 8-S, 9-G, 15-S, 18-G, 25-S, 41-S, 44-S, 52-S, and 53-S.
Longnose gar were abundant in the mainstream of the Big Blue River but usually evaded capture. This species, and the shortnose gar, resided in the larger rivers, with L. osseus being taken in only two creeks near their mouths. In periods of high water, gar moved into the flooded creeks, but returned to the river as stream-levels subsided.
Young-of-the-year L. osseus, averaging 21.5 mm. in total length (range 13 to 30 mm.), were taken on June 14, 1957, and larger young (estimated 60 to 70 mm. total length) were taken on June 27, 1958.