An Introduction to Freshwater Fishes as Biological Indicators EPA-260-R-08-016 November 2008 An Introduction to Freshwater Fishes as Biological Indicators Prepared by: Jeffrey D. Grabarkiewicz1 and Wayne S. Davis2 1Ecological Survey and Design, LLC 1517 W. Temperance Rd. Temperance, MI 48182 2U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Information Office of Information Analysis and Access Washington, DC 20460 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Environmental Information Office of Information Analysis and Access Washington, DC 20460 Printed on chlorine free 100% recycled paper with 100% post-consumer fiber using vegetable-based ink. NOtice This document has been reviewed and approved in accordance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policy. Mention of trade names, products, or services does not convey and should not be interpreted as conveying official EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation for use. Funding was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Contract # 68-C-04­ 006, Work Assignment #4-79 with the Great Lakes Environmental Center, Inc. The appropriate citation for this report is: Grabarkiewicz, J. and W. Davis. 2008. An introduction to freshwater fishes as biological indicators. EPA-260-R-08-016. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Information, Washington, DC. The entire document can be downloaded from: http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/html/publications.html ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the many individuals who provided manuscripts and papers for our review and reference. We would also like to thank the various reviewers who provided valuable comments regarding the format and content of this guide including James Kurtenbach, Louis Reynolds, Scott Stranko, and Richard Spear. iv An Introduction to Freshwater Fishes as Biological Indicators CONTENts Notice.........................................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgements..................................................................................................................iv Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1 Basic Fish Anatomy ................................................................................................................. 3 Fish as Biological Indicators................................................................................................... 4 Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI).................................................................................................... 6 Sampling Fish Populations...................................................................................................... 8 Fish Habitats.............................................................................................................................10 Family and Species Accounts.................................................................................................12 Lampreys (Petromyzontidae)...................................................................................................13 Chestnut Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus)................................................................15 American Brook Lamprey (Lampetra appendix) .............................................................15 Sturgeons (Acipenseridae)......................................................................................................16 Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) ...........................................................................18 Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) ...................................................18 Minnows (Cyprinidae) ..............................................................................................................19 Central Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum) ...............................................................22 Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus) .........................................................................22 Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)....................................................................................23 Streamline Chub (Erimystax dissimils) ...........................................................................23 Gravel Chub (Erimystax x-punctatus).............................................................................24 Crescent Shiner (Luxilus cerasinus) ...............................................................................24 Striped Shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus) ........................................................................25 Common Shiner (Luxilus cornutus) ................................................................................25 River Chub (Nocomis micropogon).................................................................................26 Silverjaw Minnow (Notropis buccatus) ............................................................................26 Rosyface Shiner (Notropis rubellus) ...............................................................................27 Pugnose Minnow (Opsopoeodus emiliae) ......................................................................27 Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephales notatus) .......................................................................28 Blacknose Dace (Rhynichthys atratulus) ........................................................................28 Longnose Dace (Rhynichthys cataractae) ......................................................................29 Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)..........................................................................29 Suckers (Catostomidae) ..........................................................................................................30 Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus).......................................................................................31 White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni) .......................................................................31 Northern Hog Sucker (Hypentileum nigricans) ...............................................................32 Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubulas)............................................................................32 Spotted Sucker (Minytrema melanops)...........................................................................33 Golden Redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum) ...................................................................33 Shorthead Redhorse (Moxostoma macrolepidotum)......................................................34 Black Jumprock (Scartomyzon cervinus)........................................................................34 An Introduction to Freshwater Fishes as Biological Indicators v CONTENTS (CON’T) Catfishes (Ictaluridae)..............................................................................................................36 Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).............................................................................38 Stonecat Madtom (Noturus flavus) .................................................................................38 Tadpole Madtom (Notorus gyrinus).................................................................................39 Brindled Madtom (Noturus miurus).................................................................................39 Trouts (Salmonidae) .................................................................................................................40 Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)...........................................................................42 Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)..............................................................................................42 Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)...................................................................................43 Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) ................................................................................43 Pikes (Esocidae).......................................................................................................................44 Grass Pickerel (Esox americanus vermiculatus) ............................................................46 Northern Pike (Esox lucius) ............................................................................................46 Topminnows and Killifishes (Fundulidae)..............................................................................47 Western Banded Killifish (Fundulus d. diaphanus) .........................................................49 Blackstripe Topminnow (Fundulus notatus) ....................................................................49 Sculpins (Cottidae)...................................................................................................................50 Mottled Sculpin (Cottus bairdi)........................................................................................52 Banded Sculpin (Cottus carolinae) .................................................................................52 Sunfishes (Centrarchidae).......................................................................................................53 Rock Bass (Ambloplites rupestris)..................................................................................55 Bluespotted Sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus)..............................................................55 Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus) .............................................................................56