REPORT UPON THE FISHES OF IOWA. 
243 
X.— THE YELLOW RIVER. 
Yellow River is a small stream in northeastern Iowa, whose source is only about 
35 miles west of its mouth. It drains a comparatively small area, but flows through 
a very broken and picturesque portion of the State. The river is usually bordered on 
one side or the other with high cliffs of limestone and sandstone. The current is swift 
and the bottom sandy, gravelly, or rocky. We visited the river northeast of Postville, 
at which place it is from 20 to 40 feet wide and, except in an occasional hole, does not 
exceed 4 feet in depth. The temperature was 70° F. Fishes are very abundant in 
Yellow River,) although the number of species observed was small. 
Hickory Greek is a small southern tributary of the Yellow River, rising on the 
upland (prairie) near Postville. In the lower part of its course it is fed by many 
springs, some of which are quite large. The creek never goes dry except on the 
upland. The bottom is muddy in the upper part and very rocky in the lower. Its 
temperature was 56° F.; the temperature of a large spring near by was 48° F. The 
creek did not contain many fishes, as every rain caused it to become very muddy. 
Were it not for this fact it could be made an excellent trout stream. 
FISHES OF YELLOW RIVER. 
1. Catostomus teres (Mitchill). Common sucker. Yellow River, common. 
2. Catostomus nigricans Le Sueur. Hog sucker; Stone-roller; Hog mullet. Yellow River, common; 
Hickory Creek, rare. 
3. Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque). Stone-lugger; Stone-roller. Yellow River and Hickory 
Creek, common. 
4. Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque). Bluni-noseil minnow. Yellow River, common. 
5. Pimephales promelas Rafinesque. Fat-head. Yellow River. Many specimens were taken from 
a small bayou, but none from the stream. 
6. Chrosomus erythrogaster Rafinesque. Bed-bellied minnow. Yellow River, common; Hickory 
Creek, abundant. 
7. Notropis megalops (Rafinesque). Common shiner. Yellow River, more abundant than any 
other species. 
8. Notropis dilectus (Girard). Emerald minnow. Yellow River, not common; anal rays, 10; eye 
small; about 20 scales before the dorsal fin. 
9. Hybopsis kentuckiensis (Rafinesque). Hornyhead ; River chub ; Jerker. Yellow River, common. 
10. Rhinichthys atronasus (Mitchill). Black-nosed dace. Hickory Creek, rare. Scales, 60 to 64; 
blackish and somewhat mottled above the lateral line, pale below. 
11. Leuciscus elongatus (Kirtland). Bed-sided shiner. Yellow River, rare. Longest specimen, 3.) 
inches ; head, 3f in length of body ; lower jaw the longer ; scales small, 65 to 70 in the lateral 
line; anal rays, 8 or 9. The specimens taken were all males, crimson on the sides. 
12. Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill). Horned dace. Hickory and Yellow Creek, not common. 
13. Eucalia inconstans (Kirtland). Brook stickleback. Hickory Creek, common; some specimens 
are black. 
14. Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque. Johnny darter. Yellow river, common. 
15. Etheostoma flabellare Rafinesque. Yellow River, common. 
16. Etheostoma cceruleum Storer. Yellow River, rare. 
17. Cottus bairdi Girard. Blob; Miller’s thumb. Hickory Creek, common. 
