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.-:-p- ,,) f) - .;J_ - . "t- ,... -.. .,,- 'V t I'iJ ~ i~ ~ ,~ ~ .- VI '> 'V '-::;::' IV .....1 ~ ;2 ~ <l C"'tl I 1'1 0 - s.- a::; -<{. \"'t) -" ." ... /":"'0 . - '1l 'J '-J VJ (1) ':J' "'0 6 ,.) <(. ~ .~ ::::; v ~ J... 7Q~ ~..MW'fI'yl-r-ros1 Jfle,~ J q&i~ $ l\O NOTES ON THE FISHES OF THE COLORADO RIVER NEAR MOAB, UTAH Stanley S. Taba, Joseph R. Murphy, and Herbert H. Frost Brigham Young University A two-year limnological study of the Colorado River in the vicinitv of Moab, Utah afforded the authors opportunity to collect and obsen.;~ the fish fauna of this section of the river. Specifically, the area of study extended from Moab downstream 25 miles to Dead Hor!'C Point. Between May 1962 and October 1964 a total of 2,785 specimens were collected. SOme interesting ecological and distributional infor. mation has resulted from these collections. The specimens represent five families, thirteen genera, and sixteen species of fish. Appreciation is extended to the Texas Gulf Sulphur Companl, Potash Division, for a research grant \vhich made these studie-- possible. CATOSTOMIDAE: Catoslomus latipinnis Baird and Girard. Flannel. mouth sucker. This sucker is native to the upper and middle Colorado River drain. age. The 122 specimens collected ranged from 32 mm. to 355 mm. in length. Fish were seined mainly from quiet backwaters, but were also taken in the main river channel and at the mouth of tributarv washes. Food consisted mainly of algae, organic matter, and bolto~: ooze. Pantosteus. delphinus (Cope). Bluehead sucker. This fish is native to the upper Colorado River drainage. Specimens were collected in still backwaters and in tributary washes with gravel bottoms. All of the 43 fish collected were small, ranging from 41 mm, to 89 mm. in length. Food consisted mainly of algae. Pantosteus platyrhynchus (Cope). Mountain sucker. This small sucker is distinguished from the above species by lips that are notched at each side of the mouth. Seventeen specimens rangin~ from 45 mm. to 73 mm. were collected in the same areas as P. del. phinus. This sucker is native to the Bonneville Basin and feeds on algae. . Xyrau.chen texanus (Abbott). Humpback sucker. . The Humpback sucker is native to the lower Colorado River basin. '\ Eight immature specimens were collected in quiet backwater areas. ~ These ranged from 90 mm. to ll5 mm. in length. The food of th\5 ~ unique ,fish consists of algae and bottom ooze foundoin muddy back. b waters. (\ CYPRINIDAE: Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, Carp. ('\. The European carp was first introduced into' Utah in 1881 according ~ to Sigler and Miller (1963). Carp are not common in this part of thlj: , Colorado River and only 22 fish were collected ranging from 48 mm, 280 . t 67ZQ4 -\ r .1 I,to a ~70 mm. gravid female. Food consisted mainly of amorphous iorgamc matter. . ,i.~ Gila robusta Baird and Girard. Bony tail. , 'The Bony tail is native to the upper Colorado River basin. Although 10 Bony tails were collected, our sampling techniques were not fully adequate for taking this swift water species. There is some disagree- iment concerning the Gila robusta subspecies, and all specimens col. . .Ileeted were treated as G. robusta for this report. Stomach analysis 'revealed small Fathead minnows and Red shiners. The size of speci. ~ mens collected ranged from 30 mm. to 267 mm. ii ~ Ptychocheilus lucius Girard. Colorado squawfish. ; This native of the Colorado drainage is the largest North American ;minnow. Most of the specimens (72) were collected in the late spring ) and early summer months and ranged from 38 mm. to 254 mm. AI. ; though adults were not taken, the young of the year were much in t evidence in quiet backwaters. TIle three largest fish had empty stom. .i achs and the younger fish had ingested organic detritus. ~ Rhinichthys osc!dus (Girard). Speckled dace. r This fish is native to this drainage but only nine were collected in i the study area. The small specimens, 35 mm. to 42 mm. in length, are , of uncertain subspec:ific identity. Food analysis revealed fragments i ~, of green algae (Cladophora spp.) and tendipedid larvae. : Pimephales promelas Rafinesque. Fathead minnow. i This minnow was first reported for Utah in a survey of Glen Canyon ~in 1958 (Smith, 1959). Fathead minnows are abundant in the Moab f: area of the Colorado River and a total of 960 were collected. Spawn- t ing Fathead minnows were observed during late spring and all of the J summer months. Large males and gravid females were collected often. ~. This species seems well adapted to the highly turbid water of the , river. Food consisted mainly of bottom ooze and algae. They have been ; successfully reared in aquaria under laboratory conditions for 18 ; months. Size range of collected specimens: 29-57 mm. Notropis lutrensis (Baird and Girard). Red shiner. (, To our knowledge, this is the first published report of the occurrence .:' of this minnow in Utah. The Red Shiner constitutes about 45 per r cent of our total collection. This species was introduced in the lower ii Colorado River as a bait fish (LaRivers, 1962; Miller, 1952). A large : number of specimens were taken (1,251) over the entire survey period ~' from all parts of the river. They ranged in length from 25 mm. to 70 mm. Spawning was observed repeatedly in June and July in quiet i backwaters and tributary washes, coinciding with the spawning of the ~'Fathead minnows. These hardy minnows have been maintained in i laboratory aquaria for 18 months. Food consisted primarily of ,algae, t protozoans, small aquatic insects, and crustaceans. 'l. . ,.. TABA, MURPHY, AND FROST: NOTES ON THE FISHES 281 .------ . <J .~ ~ ? ~ ~ ~ ,,' ~