27 



Reproduction 



Reproduction was recorded at sites for the three sculpin species present in the study 

 area (Table 1). Torrent and shorthead sculpins had the highest percentage of sites with 

 young of the year present. Young of the year sculpins tended to occupy backwater areas 

 and were often present in large numbers. Young of the year were easily turned over with 

 the electroshocker but were too small to capture effectively due to their small size relative to 

 the mesh size of the D-nets. 



Table 1 : Percentage of sample sites with and without reproduction for three sculpin 

 species in the Kootenai National Forest and portions of the Lolo National Forest. 

 Reproduction was determined based on the presence or absence of young of the year 

 (YOY) sculpins at the total number of sample sites for a respective sculpin species between 

 September and October, 1991. 



Land Use 



All sculpin species found in this study, slimy, torrent, and shorthead, were present at 

 sites in which grazing, logging, roads, and channel structures occurred in varying degrees 

 of magnitude within the watershed (Figure 12). Mining activity was the least frequently 

 encountered disturbance in the study area. All three species were found at respective sites 

 downstream of hardrock mines. Torrent sculpins were also found at urbanized sites. 

 Undisturbed sites were limited in number, were generally found in low order streams, and 

 contained slimy sculpins only. 



