In the Arkansas River system in Kansas there are marked differences
between fish faunas of the western and eastern parts of the state. This
can be illustrated by comparison of Spring River in Cherokee County with
the Cimarron River in southwestern Kansas. Single collections from
Spring River or its tributaries usually contain 25 or more species of
fish. Collections from the Cimarron rarely contain more than five or six
species. Many of those fishes found in Spring River are characteristic
of an Ozarkian fauna, and some are endemic to the Ozark uplands. Fish
found in the Cimarron or Arkansas in western Kansas are members of a
plains fauna of wide distribution. There is mingling of these two faunal
groups across the state, with the number of Ozarkian species diminishing
westward, and certain plains species diminishing eastward. A number of
species such as _Moxostoma duquesnii_ and _Notropis spilopterus_ are
limited, on the basis of present records, to Spring River and its
tributaries in Kansas. Others have not been taken west of the Neosho
drainage. The Verdigris River provides the next major avenue of westward
dispersal followed by Caney River, Grouse Creek, and the Walnut River.
West of the Walnut River system Ozarkian species have been almost always
absent from collections. The Chikaskia River is somewhat exceptional.
Moore and Buck (1953) reported from this river several species that seem
more typical of eastern faunal associations. Table 10 indicates the
stream system in which the present westernmost records are located for a
number of fishes found in the Arkansas River system in Kansas.
TABLE 10.--PRESENT WESTERNMOST RECORDS OF SOME FISHES IN THE
ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN IN KANSAS.
Spring River
_Cottus carolinae_
_Dionda nubila_
_Etheostoma blennioides_
_Etheostoma gracile_
_Etheostoma nigrum nigrum_
_Etheostoma punctulatum_
_Etheostoma saxatile_
_Hypentelium nigricans_
_Moxostoma duquesnii_
_Notropis spilopterus_
_Noturus exilis_
Neosho River
_Cycleptus elongatus_
_Etheostoma chlorosomum_
_Etheostoma flabellare lineolatum_
_Hybopsis amblops_
_Hybopsis biguttata_
_Hybopsis x-punctata_
_Notropis zonatus pilsbryi_
Verdigris River
_Etheostoma whipplii_
_Etheostoma zonale arcansanum_
_Percina copelandi_
_Moxostoma carinatum_
_Notropis boops_
_Notropis volucellus_
_Noturus miurus_
Chikaskia River
_Ictalurus natalis_
_Percina phoxocephala_
_Labidesthes sicculus_
_Lepomis megalotis breviceps_
_Micropterus punctulatus_
_Moxostoma aureolum pisolabrum_
_Moxostoma erythrurum_
_Notropis camurus_
_Pimephales notatus_
_Pimephales tenellus_
_Noturus nocturnus_
The westernmost records for seven species are in the area studied.