Discovery of Noturus eleutherus, Noturus stigmosus, and 



Percina peltata in West Virginia, with Discussions 



of Other Additions and Records of Fishes 



Dan A. Cincotta l , Robert L. Miles 2 , 

 Michael E. Hoeft 3 , and Gerald E. Lewis 4 



Wildlife Resources Division, 



West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, 



Charleston, West Virginia 



ABSTRACT. — Reports on several West Virginia fishes regarded as 

 part of the state's ichthyofauna or known to inhabit certain drainages 

 are ambiguous. Much of the information is unverifiable, unpublished, 

 or erroneous, and makes preparation of state faunal and endangered 

 species lists problematic. This paper discusses the addition of Alosa 

 sapidissima, Oncorhynchus nerka, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Notropis 

 e. emiliae, Rhinichthys bower si, Noturus eleutherus, N. stigmosus, 

 Lepomis microlophus, Cycleptus elongatus, Percina gymnocephala, P. 

 p. peltata, P. shumardi, Cottus cognatus, and C. girardi to the state 

 checklist. Problem data are also qualified for Ichthyomyzon unicuspis, 

 Lampetra appendix, Hybognathus nuchalis, Notropis dorsalis, Miny- 

 trema melanops, Noturus gyrinus, Etheostoma m. maculatum, and E. 

 tippecanoe. Verifiable or reliable records are documented for all the 

 fishes concerned. 



West Virginia waters, which include drainages from both sides of 

 the Appalachian divide, contain a fairly unique and diverse ichthy- 

 ofauna (Denoncourt et al. 1975). Although often analyzed as part of 

 several drainages (Denoncourt et al. 1975, Jenkins et al. 1972, Stauffer 

 et al. 1982), the fishes are most easily discussed as constituents of four 

 distinct river systems (Miles 1971, Cincotta and Miles 1982). These are 

 the Potomac and James rivers of the Atlantic slope, and the greater 

 Ohio and New rivers of the Mississippi basin. The New River, techni- 

 cally the upper Kanawha River (Ohio River drainage), is usually 

 regarded as a separate drainage because of its unique faunal assemblage 

 (Addair 1944, Jenkins et al. 1972, Stauffer et al. 1982). 



Historically, literature pertaining to the fishes of the state was 

 meager and not readily available. The basis for information was 

 dependent on the surveys of Osburn (1901), Goldsborough and Clark 



Present addresses: ' P.O. Box 67, Elkins, West Virginia 26241; 2 1800 Washington 

 St. East, Charleston, WV 25305; 3 McClintic Wildlife Station, Point Pleasant, 

 WV 25550; 4 P.O: Box 1930, Romney, WV 26757. 



Brimleyana No. 12:101-121, September 1986 101 



