TPWD 1954 F-3-R-1 #81: Inventory of Species Present in Those Portions of the Sabine River Within Gregg County, Texas

--- Page 1 --- STATE Texas PROJECT NO. F-3-R-1, Job B-6 PERIOD July 1, 1953 - May 1, 1954 Job Completion Report by Robert J. Kemp, Jr. TITLE Inventory of Species Present in Those Portions of the Sabine River Within Gregg Coun- ty, Texas. ‘OBJECTIVES To determine the distribution of the species present, their relative abundance and the ecological factors influencing their distribution. METHODS A total of 61 collections were made at five stations on the Sabine River in Gregg County during this study. There were 25 seining collections made with a 26 x 6 ft. bag seine. Thirty-three hoop nets with 1 to 3 inch mesh were set and three 13 inch mesh gill n , 100 x 8 ft. were set. Seining and gill net collections were made at low and nor- Mai water periods. Hoop net sets were made during "rises" in March, April and May, 1954. Seined specimens were preserved in 10% formalin and brought into the laboratory for identification and counting. Hoop and gill net specimens were identified, counted and weighed in the field. A total count of all specimens collected was made and percentages of the total of each species calculated. Temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide and chlorides were determined at each station after proper equipment became available and ecological condi- tions were observed in conjunction with Job A-2 (Basic Survey. ) The five localities selected as collection stations were chosen for habitat and easy accessability. Station #1, located approximateYone-half mile above Highway 149 bridge, is shallow, fast water. The bottom is gravel and rock; shore line is rocky with high clay banks; water depth normally six to twenty-four inches; the river is approximately 120 ft. wide at this point; there is no aquatic vegetation present at this station. Station #2, located approximately two miles south of Highway 26, is moderately fast water. The bottom is bed-rock strewn with boulders; the shoreline is rocky, with steeply sloping clay banks; water depth normally six to 36 inches; the river is approximately 90 ft. wide at this point; aquatic vegetation at this station is willow. Twenty - three Species were collected here. --- Page 2 --- 2. Station #3, located at Highway 26 bridge, is moderately fast water. ‘The bot- t is sand; shore line is sand and clay with low clay banks; water depth normally six inches to Six ft; river approximately 75 feet wide at this point; aquatic vegetation present at this station is willow and button bush; Station 3 is located on a sand bar running alongside a deep portion of the river; this is the best of the collecting sta- tions, with 34 species collected here. Station #4 located just below the Highway 259 bridge, is deep, slow, ruming water. The bottom is silt; shoreline is sand and silt, with steeply sloping sand and silt banks; water depth zero up to 15 ft; no aquatic vegetation present at this sta- tion. Seining very difficult due to the steep banks and depth. The river is approx- imately 100 ft. wide here. There were only 17 species collected here. Station #5, located just above the Highway Bridge 271, is fairly slow run- ning water. The bottom is sand and silt; shore line is sand and silt with gently slop- ing banks; river is approximately 75 ft. wide at this point; aquatic vegetation pres- ent is mostly scattered willow. There were 28 species collected at this station. RESULTS There were 46 different species of fish taken in all methods of collection. Table No. 1 lists each species and the log@lities where each was found. Ten of the h6 species were found at all five stations. Twelve species were found at only one sta- tion each. Seining collections produced 2,139 specimens and thirty nine different Species. Table No. 2 gives the results of the seining, showing the numbers of each species found at each station and the total and percent of each species. The most abun- ¢ ° species in the seining collections were the red shiner (16.64%); the mosquito fish (1..9%); emerald shiner (11.1%); Texas shiner (10.7%). Each remaining species made up less than 10% of the total catch. Hoop net collections took 37 specimens, including 12 species. Five of these species, the black bullhead, channel cat, flathead cat, drum and carp, were not taken by any other means. Table No. 3 gives the location, numbers and weights of each spe- cies taken in hoop nets. Three 1$ inch mesh gill nets were set in the deep water : Station #4, but the catch was only 8 long-nose gar weighing 14.5 pounds. Commercial fishermen report the most common fish taken by them in hoop nets are drum, carp 42d puffalo. However, no buffalo were taken in hoop nets during this study. The lamprey listed in the checklist was taken by a commercial fisherman, who reported lampreys to be very numerous. SUMMARY 1) The field work of this job was done in conjuction with Job A-2 (Basic Sur- vey) of Sabine River in Gregg County. 2) Sixty-one collections were made at five different stations with seines, gill nets and hoop nets. 3) 2,184 specimens collected included 46 different species. 4) Minnows made up the bulk of the seining collections. Game species Cen- tiurchids) made up approximately 8% of the seining collections. 5) Hoop nets and gill nets caught only 45 specimens, but included 7 species not taken seining. €) Commercial fishermen reported drum, carp and buffalo their most common catch. --- Page 3 --- Table No. Name of Species Scientific nt Lis 10. 13 12. 13. 14, 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 238 25. Ichthymyzon castaneus Lepisosteus osseus Lepisosteus productus Dorosoma cepedianum Dorosoma petenensis Mugil cephalus Ictiobus bubalus Minytrema melanops Cyprinus carpio Notemigonus crysoleucas Opsopoeodus emiliae Phenocobius mirabilis Notropis atherinoides Notropis percobromus Notropis amabilis Notropis fumeus Notropis chalybeus Notropis roseus Notropis sabinae Notropis venustus Notropis lutrensis Notropis deliciosus Notropis atrocaudalis Notropis volucellus Hybognathus nuchalis Common Chestnut lamphrey Longnose gar Spotted gar Gizzard shad Threadfin shad Striped mullet Smallmouth buffalo Spotted sucker Carp Golden shiner Pugnose minnow Suckermouth minnow Emerald shiner Plains shiner Texas shiner Ribbon shiner Ironecolor shiner Central weed shiner Longnose shiner Blacktail shiner Red shiner Sand shiner Blackspot shiner Mimic shiner Silver minnow 1 Species Distribution Checklist #3 fh #5 --- Page 4 --- 26. ae 28. 29. 30. 32. 33- 34. 35° 36. ST 36. 39. ho. Al. he, 43, Wh, 4s, 6, Pimephales vigilax Ameiurus melas Ictalurus punctatus Pilodictus olivaris Fundulus notatus Gambusia affinis Labidesthes sicculus Micropterus punctulatus Micropterus salmoides Chaenobryttus coronarius Lepomis punctatus Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis auritus Lepomis megalotis Lepomis microlophus Pomoxis annularis Pomoxis nigromaculatus Centrarchus macropterus Amnocrypta vivax Etheostoma gracile Aplodinotus grunniens 4, Table No. 1 (continued) Parrot minnow Biack bullhead Channel cat Flathead cat Blackstripe topminnow Mosquitofish Brook silversides Spotted bass Largemouth bass Warmouth Spotted sunfish Bluegill Yellow belly Longear Redear White crappie Black crappie Flier Arkansas sand darter Western swamp darter Drum --- Page 5 --- 3. Table No. 2 ~- Seining Results By Station Species Station Station Station Station Station Total % of Nd 2 3 4 5 Total Seining Collect. 1. Spotted gar ) 0 1 ) 0 1 % 2. Gizzard shad 4 6 2h 0 ll hs 2.1 3. Threadfin shad 0 4 0 ) 0) 4 0.2 4. Striped mullet 0 0 0) O 1 1 - % 5. Smallmouth buffalo 1 1 6) 0 O 2 O.1 6. Spotted sucker O 0) 0 0 2 2 O.1 7. Golden shiner 5 @) ) ) 1 6 0.3 8. Pugnose minnow 1 0 1 0 0 2 O.1 9. Suckermouth minnow ) ) 11 ) ye 15 0.7 10 ‘Ymerald shiner 7 70 60 2 58 237 0201.1 1l. Plains shiner ) 1 5 0 0 6 0.3 12, Texas shiner 71 ek 4o aT 54 228 «10.7 13. Ribbon shiner fe) ) 4 ) 0 4 0.2 14, Ironeolor shiner 11 fe) 8 4 fe) 23 ll 15. Central weed shiner 11 53 21 8 19 112 5.2 16. Longnose shiner @) 0 15 0 3 18 0.8 17. Blacktail shiner 0 4 8 0 7 19 0.9 18. Red shiner 153 54 101 5 ke 355 16.6 19. Sand shiner 4 O 53 0 9 66 Sa 20. Blackspot shiner 16 0 11 8 0 35 1.6 el. Mimic shiner 0) 6) aL O O 1 - 22. Silvery minnow 60 20 10 3 54 147 6.9 23. Parrot minnow 7 @) 104 1 26 138 6.4 24, Blackstripe topminnow 60 Tm) 45 21 27 195 9.1 eee --- Page 6 --- 6. Table No. 2 - Continued _ SSeS 25. Mosquitofish 62 122 36 xe) 7 276 12.9% 26. Brook silversides 4 1 2 2 ) 9 0.4 27. Spotted bass 1 i 2 O 33 37 L.7 28. Largemouth bass 4 1 6 1 7 19 0.9 29. Warmouth 3 fo) 1 2 ©) 6 0.3 30. Spotted sunfish (0) 0) 5 0) e) 5 0.2 31. Bluegill 12 1 23 0 2 38 1.8 32. Yellowbelly sunfish 1 ) 2 4 25 32 1.5 33. Longear sunfish 2 @) 9 ) 15 26 1.2 34. Redear ©) fe) 2 0 0 2 0.1 35. White crappie 5 1 O 3 @) 9 O.4 36. Black crappie 7 2 2 1 0 2 0.6 37. Flier O 0) 1 ©) O 1 ~~ - 38. Arkansas sand darter 0 0 ©) O 1 1 “+ 39. Western swamp darter 2 1 1 ) ) 4 0.2 eee Totals 2,139 100.04 eee --- Page 7 --- 7. Table Number 3 Hoop Net Results BERET ONS Ba Species #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 _—__ Sp. gar ) 0 1-1 lb, Ok oz. O 0 1-1 lb. Ob oz. B. bullhead 9) 1-0 lb. 03 oz. <) fe) 1-Olb, 06 0z. 2-0 lb. 09 oz. Ch. Cat O 1-0 lb. 05 02 O ie) 2-Olb. 10 oz, 3-0 lb. 15 oz. Flathead ie) 1-2 lb. 09 og O 0 6) 1-2 lb. 09 oz. B. Crappie 0 2-0 lb. 08 oz 1-0 lb. 2 oz. 0 1-Olb. 08 oz. 4-1 lb. 02 oz. W. Crappie 0 0 2-0 lb. 13 oz. 10) 3-Olb. 15 oz. 5-1 lb. 12 oz. Drum 6) 2-0 lb. 06 oz 2-0 lb. 12 og. O 2-0 1b.05 oz. 6-21b. O7 oz. Bluegill 6) 1-0 1b. 02 oz. O 0 O 1-Olb. O02 oz. Carp @) 0 1-1 1b.08 oz ) @) 1-1 lb. 08 oz. igear ) fo) 0 0 6-0 lb. 14 oz. 6-0 lb. 14 oz. Shad 0) fe) 2- Olb. 10 oz. O 4-2 lb. 06 oz. 6-3 lb. 00 oz. Warmouth 6) 6) 6) e) 1-0 lb. 03 oz. 1-0 lb. 03 oz. —_— eee Total 37 - 16 lb. 5 oz. SUEEEEEEEEEReneneeeeeeee --- Page 8 --- £6 ™™ ALNNOD_9934N9 ABAYNS ONINNY 1d AVMHSIH 30IM-31LV1S mous G3mvi80 viv savoy onand 340 nva"ne 3OYSWWOD JO IN3W1LYvd30 ‘Sn HL Haim MOUWNRdOOD HI AN3WLYVd30 AVMHOIH ALVLS SVX3L Fy HL Am ORsWaRES SVX3L ALNNOD 99349 dVW AVMHSIH WWY3AN39 (oven amon or wate ron a wens wee ABIASNOT