Re: BNL listings - native killie pond

["Scott Davis" <unclescott at prodigy_net>]

> I'm in Little Rock, AR USDA Zone 7.

A couple of books which will give you photos, distribution maps and habitat
& biology discussions are Page & Burr's (Peterson Field Guide) Freshwater
Fishes and Fishes of Arkansas by Robinson & Buchanan (University of Arkansas
Press). If I were you I would check with your local public library. Don't
overlook their interlibrary connections if they are not in the immediate
library collection.

Both probably can be purchased within your state I would imagine. The first
edition of Page and Burr and the $50 hardcover Fishes of Arkansas were sold
through www.hamiltonbooks.com last year. I eagerly ordered a copy of Fishes
of Arkansas on general principle.

If you can't find (and want to find) copies of those works locally, try
www.half.com , www.abebooks.com or
http://jonahsaquarium.com/contents.htm . Jonah's picked up copies of both
and is selling them for a little bit below list (Page & Burr) and about 60%
of list for Fishes of Arkansas.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that there are other works which would be of
use, both written specifically about the Arkansas and about other area,
which would discuss your fishes. For instance a lot of the books on the
fishy fauna of a certain state will have national distribution.

They had the Fishes of Missouri for sale at this year's St Louis AKA
National convention. I'm kicking myself for not picking it up.

Little Rock is smack, dab in the middle of the state, isn't it? Remember
when looking at the collecting maps that fishes can be found other than at
the marked spots. Someone has listed those places in the literature or with
a museum.

Fundulus olivaceus, the Blackspotted Topminnow and maybe F. notatus, the
Blackstripe Topminnow seem to be found in your area. To the southeast of
Little Rock can be found F dispar, the Northern Starhead Topminnow and F
chrysotus, the Golden Topminnow.

North and South of you are two ranges of the 6" F catenatus, Northern
Studfish. And in spawning color, it is a stud too!

All of those Fundulus are specifically mentioned as good aquarium fish by
Robinson & Buchanan.


Mike Schelp has recently been sharing his experiences with catenatus on this
list. You might also search the killietalk archives for observations by
Bruce Stallsmith and B.G. Granier.

Your state also, glancing at the Fishes of Arkansas, has a bunch of really
neat looking dace, shiners, a pygmy sunfish and darters. Hope that isn't
heresy on a killies page. :)

Make sure that you check with the Arkansas Department of Natural Resources
or their version of Fish & Wildlife. You want to make sure that you know
what the rules are - license, proper nets, forbidden endangered species,
what can be caught and in what manner.

I find it very frustrating that in Illinois the DNR lawyer has told a local
NANFA delegation that he will do whatever in his power to prosecute them if
they collect.

Ironically some of those same non-game fishes could be collected if it was
for bait.

I believe it is legal in Illinois to stab a gar fish with a pitchfork if
spring flooding brings them into your fields. Go to a pet shop to buy one
for a tank though.

Maybe I'll just go collecting in a bait shop. :(

I hope that the above is a start anyway and of some help to you Wayne.

All the best!

Scott


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