Gauley River Fishes 49 



1975; Stauffer et al. 1975; Denoncourt et al. 1977; Stauffer et al. 1977; 

 Hocutt et al. 1978; Stauffer et al. 1977; and Hocutt et al. 1977), contract- 

 ed this investigation to serve as a basis for their position regarding the 

 proposed Corps' projects on Gauley River. 



METHODS AND MATERIALS 



Gauley River is rather isolated and offers several distinctive problems 

 in sampling for fishes. Preliminary planning indicated a need to use a 

 variety of collecting gear. Streams were sampled primarily with 1.5 X 3.0 

 m nylon seines with 3.2 mm mesh or with a pulsated DC electrofishing 

 unit. In more open waters and pools a 1.5 X 7.6 m nylon seine with 3.2 

 mm mesh was often employed. The electrofishing unit was used ex- 

 clusively in lower stream sections characterized by large rubble, boulders 

 and high gradient. Four localities in the drainage were sampled with 

 emulsified rotenone using techniques recommended by Hocutt et al. 

 (1973). Trotlines and gill nets were fished overnight in some of the larger 

 pools of Gauley River; these techniques were ineffective due to water 

 clarity and depauperate fauna, so the data were combined with seine data 

 for the particular localities. 



A total of 52 stations was sampled in the system (Table 1, Fig. 1), with 

 the expressed purpose of obtaining a representative qualitative sample 

 (Hocutt et al. 1974) at each station. Stations were sampled a single time, 

 except for Station 30 which was sampled by seine and by electrofishing; 

 for the purposes of this report, data obtained in these two collections were 

 combined. Table 2 lists each fish species collected by station. Data are 

 organized for discussion by main-channel and its tributaries. Subse- 

 quently, an annotated list of species collected in this survey and by Ad- 

 dair (1944) and Reed (1974) is presented. 



All specimens were preserved in a 10 percent formalin solution, unless 

 collected by rotenone. Rotenone collections were preserved in 20 percent 

 formalin (Hocutt et al. 1973). All collections were catalogued into the 

 Fish Museum, Appalachian Environmental Laboratory (AEL 142-194, 

 226), and stored in 40 percent isopropanol. 



Museum records of Gauley River specimens were verified where possi- 

 ble. Museums housing collections from the system include: Cornell Uni- 

 versity (CU); Ohio State University (OSU); University of North Caro- 

 lina (UNC); U. S. National Museum (USNM); University of Michigan, 

 Museum of Zoology (UMMZ), where Addair's (1944) collections are 

 catalogued; and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 

 (VPISU). 



Jenkins et al. (1972) defined drainages, systems, and basins, and their 

 classification is followed here. Their suggestion that use of these terms be 

 standardized has merit, but certain ambiguities remain. Critical com- 

 ment is reserved for discussion elsewhere. 



