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Based on the results of collections prior to and those of this survey, 12 families including 81 <br />species of Ephemeroptera have been found in New Mexico. "Of the major drainage systems in <br />the state, the Gila system is the most species rich with 48 species, followed by the Rio Grande <br />(46), Pecos (39), Canadian (28), and San Juan (25). Eighteen New Mexico mayfly species are <br />known exclusively from western drainages in the state (San Juan, Zuni, San Francisco, Gila) and <br />23 species are known exclusively from eastern drainages (essentially all drainages east of the <br />continental divide: Dry Cimarron, Canadian, Rio Grande, Pecos)" (McCafferty et al. 1997). New <br />Mexico is rich in mayfly species when compared to adjoining states: Arizona (9 families, 66 <br />species); Colorado (14 families, 100 species); Texas (11 families, 92 species); and Chihuahua, <br />Mexico (5 families, 27 species). Many species are rare, known from only one location. One of <br />these, the large burrowing mayfly Hexagenia bilineata constitutes a new state record found <br />during our survey only at one location, just upstream from Harkey Crossiing on the Black River <br />(Eddy County), a tributary of the lower Pecos River. The pool habitat containing calcareous <br />sediments is the only one of this type found, so far, in New Mexico. <br />Objective 3. <br />The database for contemporaneous fish collection records was completed for all sites sampled to <br />date (154 sites). In addition, plausible presence-absence records of the historic (circa 1550), <br />natural occurring fish fauna were compiled for these sample sites. This will facilitate <br />comparisons of the aquatic ecoregions with the native fish faunal regions. <br />Presence/absence data of native fish species were used to delineate fish faunal regions. The fish <br />species faunal regions are confined generally to drainage basins, although some faunal regions <br />span drainage boundaries. In the mountains, two faunal regions are common to the Rio Grande, <br />Pecos, and Canadian/Arkansas River drainages, one represents depauperate headwater streams <br />and the other represents more diverse streams. Separate faunal regions are described for <br />mountain streams of the upper and lower Colorado River drainages. These faunal regions of the <br />Colorado River drainage differ primarily in their native species for the genera Oncorhynchus, <br />Catostomus, and Rhinichthys. From foothills to lowlands, a single fish species faunal region in <br />each drainage is sufficient to describe the assemblages in the upper and lower Colorado River <br />and the Canadian/Arkansas River drainages. Within the Rio Grande and Pecos River drainages <br />foothill to lowland sites on the river mainstems are divided into two fish faunal regions, a middle <br />elevation transition zone and a lowland mainstem zone. Upland to lowland tributaries to the <br />Pecos River are recognized as a separate fish faunal region. Fish in two contemporary endorheic <br />basins form the remaining faunal regions, i.e., lowland springs of the Tularosa Basin and the <br />Mimbres River Basin. Fish faunal regions have also been delineated for fish genera and for an <br />ecological classification that captures differences in reproduction. <br />In general, fish faunal regions bear little resemblance to aquatic ecoregions in the state. Fish <br />species richness in New Mexico river drainages is positively correlated with drainage basin area. <br />A manuscript of these findings is appended to this report (Appendix 2). The co-authors of this <br />report intend to publish these findings in a peer reviewed scientific journal. <br />5