FIRST RECORD OF THE STONECAT IN WATERS

LEROY M. ROYER, Kelsey Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and C. BLAINE ANDERSON, Box 310, Shaunavon, Saskatchewan

Members of the catfish family (7c- The stonecat can be distinguish tal u ridae) are not common or from most other members of widespread in Saskatchewan waters. family Ictaluridae by the presence Three species, the black bullhead (7c- an aanate adipose fin (low ridgelj talurus melas), the brown bullhead (7. forward extension of the caudal nebulosus) and the tadpole madtom The much smaller tadpole mad (Noturus gyrinus) are reported by also has this feature. Other diagnq Scott and Crossman (1973) to occur in characters of the stonecat I the Souris River basin of southeastern premaxillary tooth patch with lad Saskatchewan. extensions (lacking in tadpole n tom), square caudal fin, and H In July, 1975, Mr. Anderson coloration strongly countershad collected several specimens of the dark above, yellow to white belt stonecat (Noturus flavus) while com¬ pleting a fish collection as part of the The three specimens of stonl course work for the Renewable collected from the Frenchman Rl Resources Technology Program at in 1975 measured 85, 113 and 1541 Kelsey Institute of Applied Arts and total length. One specimen is ini Sciences, Saskatoon. Tnis species was personal collection of Mr. Anderl collected in the Frenchman River a second is in the fish collection al (NEV4 33-4-17 W 3rd) from a pool of Saskatchewan Fisheries Laboratol slow moving water on the north side Saskatoon and the third is in the* of a high bank. Very little vegetative collection at Kelsey Institute, Sa growth was present in the river and at toon, Saskatchewan." tnis point and the bottom was com¬ posed mainly of mud and a few large stones. BROWN, C. J. D. 1971. Fishes of Monl| Previous distribution records for Big Sky Books, State iFI this species in the prairie region of Bozeman, Montana. |l^ Canada indicate its presence only in the Red River as far north as Win¬ FEDORUK, A. N. 1971. Freshwater fish I nipeg, Manitoba and in the Milk Manitoba: Checklist and keys. Man If River ( drainage) of Dept. Mines, Res. and Envir. Manag southern Alberta. The Frenchman River in Saskatchewan is also part of SCOTT, W. B. and E. J. CROSSMAN. | the Missouri River system since it Freshwater fishes of Canada. Bull. lu flows into the Milk River in Montana. Fish. Res. Bd. Canada. Ottawa.