132 Melvin L. Warren, Jr. 



This undescribed relative of the mirror shiner, Notropis spectruncu- 

 lus, was previously known in Kentucky from a single record in the Little 

 South Fork of the Cumberland River (Comiskey and Etnier 1972; John 

 S. Ramsey, pers. comm.). The two additional localities noted above 

 indicate a wider but sporadic distribution in the Big South Fork and 

 middle Cumberland rivers of eastern Kentucky. The rarity of the sawfin 

 shiner in Kentucky may be related in part to lack of recognition by early 

 workers and to the embayment of tributaries by Cumberland River 

 Reservoir. Additional Kentucky collections are anticipated in other 

 medium-to-large streams of the drainage. The species is considered 

 threatened in Kentucky by the Kentucky Academy of Science (Branson 

 etal. 1981). 



Phoxinus cumberlandensis Starnes and Starnes. Blackside dace. 

 WCS 883-01 (1), Marsh Cr. (Cumberland R. dr.), 1.8 km S of Co. Rd. 

 1470 on Marsh Cr. Rd., McCreary Co., 4 May 1978; KNP C02MCY 

 (3), same locality, 19 September 1978; WCS 1163-01 (1), Craig Cr. 

 (Laurel R. dr.), at KY 312 bridge, Laurel Co., 9 October 1979; KNP 

 C02LAU (2), Ned Branch (Rockcastle R. dr.), 0.6 km N of terminus of 

 Co. Rd. 1193 and 50 m above the impounded mouth, Laurel Co., 25 

 July 1979; KNP COILET (1), Colliers Branch (Poor Fk. Cumberland 

 R. dr.), 4.2 km E of jet US 119 and Colliers Br. Rd., Letcher Co., 22 

 April 1980; KNP uncat. (2), Poor Fk. (Cumberland R. dr.), 5.5 km 

 ENE of jet US 119 and KY 932, Letcher Co., 1 June 1979; KNP 

 C02WHI (15), Bunches Cr. (Cumberland R. dr.), 1.5 km above the 

 mouth, Whitley Co., 22 August 1979. 



Previously, P. cumberlandensis was known in Kentucky from 12 

 extant and 2 apparently extirpated populations (Starnes and Starnes 

 1978). The addition of the six localities reported above indicates the 

 species occurs from the extreme headwaters of the Poor Fork of the 

 Cumberland River downstream to and including the Laurel River, 

 lower Rockcastle River, and Beaver Creek systems. The species was col- 

 lected in pool areas of headwater streams in association with undercut 

 banks and/ or rubble, boulder, and sand substrates. Most seine hauls 

 yielded only one or two individuals. The general habitat description 

 presented by Starnes and Starnes (1978) agrees well with my obser- 

 ations. 



Phoxinus cumberlandensis apparently evolved in isolation in the 

 Cumberland River drainage above Cumberland Falls, which represents 

 the major part of the known range (Starnes and Starnes 1978). The 

 discovery of populations in the Laurel and lower Rockcastle rivers 

 below Cumberland Falls represents the first records for these drainages 

 and raises questions concerning the circumvention of the falls. In order 

 to explain the presence of P. cumberlandensis immediately below Cum- 

 berland Falls, Starnes and Starnes (1978) postulated lateral stream cap- 

 ture or the relatively rapid regression of the falls in recent geologic time. 



