THE FISHES OF THE CAROLINA SANDHILLS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE by Larry L. Olmsted and Donald G. Cloutman Final Report to United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service March 1978 INTRODUCTION The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife has established more than 300 national wildlife refuges for management of waterfowl, large mammals, and certain endangered species. Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1939 as a wildlife demonstration area (USlll, Fish and Wildlife Service 1968). Although management practices and developments are designed primarily to Improve the habitat of certain birds and mammals, the area also serves as a sanctuary for many other forms of life, including fishes. Little information is available concerning the fishes of the Sandhills region in South Carolina, and no detailed studies have been conducted previously on the refuge. Welsh (1916) reported on fishes he collected during a canoe journey in the Lumber, Pee Dee, and Waccamaw drainages from Pinebluff, North Carolina to Georgetown, South Carolina, and Carolina Power and Light Company (1976) has surveyed the fishes of Lake Robinson and Black Creek south of the refuge. This present study was initiated to provide distributional data on fishes of the Sandhills region and to formulate management recommendations for protecting threatened species or species of economic or ecological interest on the refuge. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA The Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge (Fig. 1) consists of 46,000 acres (18,600 ha) in a wide band of sandhills along the Fall Line between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont Plateau in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Elevations range from 250 to 500 ft (75 to 150 m) above sea level. The. soi 1 is predominantly sand with occasional red clay outcroppings. Before 1939, most of the land was cleared and burned over, but under protection it has returned to stands of pre­ dominantly longleaf pine· and scrub oak forest with scattered areas cultivated for wildlife management. 2 --m>., 7 -I 33 29 __--.., , 30 5 km SOUTH CAROLINA 31 .-.. Figure I. Map of the Carolina Sandhills National ~lildlife Refuge showing collection localities. The eastern portion of the refuge drains into Black Creek and its tributaries (Fig. l). The water is clear but stained brown or black due to organic acids. The larger creeks have steep banks, deep channels, and moderate flows. Flood­ plain swamps, consisting of areas periodically flooded by rains and high stream­ flow, occur along some of the large creeks. Tributaries are similar except they are usually shallower and flows are swifter. Aquatic macrophytes are generally abundant and submerged trees and debris are common. Vegetation along the streams consists largely of swamp forest or dense stands of evergreen shrubs (Ericaceae). Many small Impoundments have been constructed on the tributaries. The impoundments have clear dark water and support extensive beds of macrophytes. The western portion of the refuge drains into the Lynches River and its tributaries. Tributaries of the Lynches River are similar to those of Black Creek except they are deeper and swifter. The mainstream of the Lynches River originates in the Piedmont Plateau, and in the vicinity of the refuge is characterized by slightly stained and turbid water and predominantly clay banks. MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 1976 through August 1977, 14 collections in the Lynches drainage and 42 in the Black Creek drainage were made using seines, dip nets, gill nets, and a backpack electrofisher. Most collections were made with the seine because low conductivity limited the effectiveness of the electrofisher. Gi 11 nets were used in the impoundments and deep pools in Black Creek. Nomenclature in this report is according to Bailey et al. (1970). Comments regarding "threatened" and "special concern" status refer to suggestions by Loyacano and Gilbert (In Press). Specimens collected in this study are deposited in museums at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Duke Power Company, Environmental Sciences Unit, and U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. COLLECTION SITES Black Creek Drainage CREEKS Station Black Creek at Catarrah Road. Collected 22 May 1976. Station 2 Black Creek at Hwy 145. Collected 28 February 1976, 3 April 1976, 10 July 1976, 7 August 1976. Station 3 Black Creek at Old Wire Road. Collected 14 February 1976, 28 February 1976, 9 July 1976, 3 September 1976. Station 4 Black Creek at Hwyl. Collected 4 September 1976. Station 5 Little Black Creek at County Road 138 at northern edge of refuge. Collected 19 July 1976. Station 6 Skipper Creek below Pool L. Collected 22 May 1976. Station 7 Skipper Creek at Hwy 145. Collected .22 May 1976, 6 August 1976. Station 8 . Rogers Branch at Rt 3. Collected 22 May 1976. Station 9 Creek below Mays Lake. Collected 3 April 1976. Station 10 Ham Creek below Pool H. Collected 14 February 1976. Station 11 Ham Creek below Lake Bee (at Hwy 145). Collected 14 February 1976, 28 February 1976, 6 August 1976. Station 12 Creek below Pool G, at PR l. Co 11 ected 20 November 1976. Station 13 Creek just below Lower Twin Lakes. Collected 3 Apri 1 1976. Station 14 Ham Creek below Pool D, at PR l. Col 1ected 3 Apr i 1 1976, 10 July 1976. Station 15 Ham Creek below Martins Lake. Co 11 ected 28 February 1976. Station 16 Ham Creek at Old Wire Road. Collected 14 February 1976. Station 17 Little Alligator Creek below Pool A, at PR l. Collected 14 February 1976, 4 September 1976. PONDS Station 18 Pool L.. Collected 22 May 1976. Station 19 Mays Lake. Collected 3 Apri 1 1976. Station 20 Pool H. Collected 14 February 1976, 20 November 1976. Station 21 Lake Bee. Collected 28 February 1976, 22 May 1976, 6 August 1976. Station 22 Pool G. Collected 20 November 1976. Stat I on 23 Upper Twin Lakes, Co 1 lected 3 Apr! 1 1976. Station 24 Lower Twin Lakes. Co 11 ected 3 Apr i 1 1976. Stat ion 25 Martins Lake. Collected 28 February 1976. 3 September 1976, Station 26 Pool c. Co 11 <;!cted 22 May 1976. Station 27 Pool A. Col 1ected 4 September 1976. Lynches River Drainage MAINSTREAM Station 28 Lynches River at Hwy 903 bridge (not in the refuge, but character­ istic of the river on the refuge and had good access). Collected 22 May 1976, 17 September 1976, 7 May 1977. Station 29 Lynches River at mouth of Swift Creek. Collected 7 August 1976. Station 30 Lynches River approximately 1 mile (1.5 km) downstream from the mouth of Swift Creek. Collected 11 September 1976. Station 31 Lynches River at Hwy 1 bridge. Collected 7 May 1977. CREEKS Station 32 Oxpen Branch below Pool J. Collected 2 April 1977. Station 33 Big Sandy Creek at ref.uge border. Collected 6 August 1977. Station 34 North Prong Swift Creek, Rt 436. Collected 20 November 1976. Station 35 South Prong Swift Creek, Rt 436, Collected 20 November 1976. Station 36 Swift Creek,. 1200 ft (400 m) upstream from confluence with Lynches River. Collected 7 August 1976. PONDS Station 37 Pond above Oxpen Lake. Collected 22 May 1976. Station 38 Pool J. Collected 22 May 1976, 4 September 1976. ANNOTATED LI ST OF SPEC I ES A total of 5061 specimens representing 49 species from 11 fami 1 ies was collected during this study (Table 1), In the list of species which follows, numbers of 'fable I: Number of fishes collected In the Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge) South Carolina from January 1976 through August 1977, Black Creek Drainage Lynches Fl i ver Drain age --------·-- ---· ~eoisosteus ~* 0 0 0 0 0 Amia calva* 0 0 0 0 0 Angul I lq rostrata 0 1 0 0 0 Umbra~ 0 25 0 5 0 Esox an:eri can us 3 23 0 1 0 ~ n.lg_~ 33 44 0 1 0 Hybognath.~ reg i us 0 0 0 0 5 -Hybopsls sp. n. 0 0 0 0 51 ~pcomls Jeptocephalus_ 0 0 0 0 8 Notern!gonus crysoleucas 0 4 0 0 0 Notropis altipinnis 0 0 0 0 13 Notropls ar1alostanus 0 0 0 0 48 NotroP.12. chalybaeUS 0 4 0 1 0 Notropis fllmmlngsae 0 445 0 2 9 Notropls !!.l..Y~ 0 0 0 0 85 Notropis ~tersoni 0 0 0 0 9 Notropii procne 0 0 0 0 25 Notropls P-Yrrhomelas 0 .2 .. 0 0 ... .98 .. IW..!.J:.Q.P.il ?.f.~Q.! I cus 0 0 0 0 140 Semot1 lus sp. n. 0 0 0 0 I tr i myzon 9b lQ!lH!:!~ 0 2 0 0 0 Er i ny~.QI!. ~.i:i..s:.et ta l'il 32 0 0 0 til~l!L9 m~ano~ 0 1 I 0 0 I Moxostoma an i surum 0 0 0 0 2 i ct;;iTUl-U.S ~:JtiJ_s __ 0 0 0 0 1 I ct.:iTlirUS ilata Ii s 9 10 2 1 3 !Cta 1 ur!!~ ~"a-tyC-ey_~~ 0 0 0 0 3 L£ta1urus punctcttus~': 0 0 0 0 0 tlQ.!!:!JUS gyrinus 0 21 0 0 1 HQJ;~~ L~nls 0 15 0 0 1 NQtLirll.§ sp. n. 0 0 0 0 1 £b2.Lc~.. l@§~J: 0.rnuta 0 14 0 0 0 lliill_redocj_~J.J.!.~ sayan._~ 59 62 0 2 6 E!,lnclulu.:1 l.1.neolatus. 213 139 22 3 0 G.Jmbus I§! €lffJJli2.. 8'42 98 81 4 2t 8cantharchus ~mot is 2 I 0 0 0 ~Q!.l_t.rarchus· wcro~.[~'~ 0 0 0 0 0 Enneacanthus chaetodon 100 109 0 0 0 Enneacanthus Q1orl9sus 86 72 0 0 0 [nn~acantb.!!~ gbe...§..._L!.~.