sample at Eagle Creek, nine individuals came from the 
pool and six from the riffles, the same numbers as for 
P. caprodes. In the Vandalia area P. maculata was often 
found around brush and logs where the current was 
slow. Variable habitat preference seemed to be gen- 
erally characteristic, ranging from shallow, swift water 
over a hard bottom, often of rubble or rock (Greeley 
1927, 1928, 1929) to sluggish water over muddy bot- 
toms (Scott 1954). 
P. phoxocephala has the most restricted range of the 
darters studied, being generally limited to the Midwest. 
[t occurs occasionally throughout Illinois except in the 
xtreme northeastern and southern portions of the state 
(Smith 1965). In the Kaskaskia it was rare in the 
1eadwaters, was found fairly abundantly from the Sulli- 
fan area to Vandalia, and was occasional throughout 
he rest of the river (Table 2 and Fig. 4). 
It was found most often in the Kaskaskia over fine 
ravel with moderate to fast current in fairly shallow 
vater, as has been reported in other parts of its range 
y Cross (1954, 1967), Deacon (1961), Metcalf (1959), 
tarrett (1950), and Trautman (1957). In the 1966 
ollection at Eagle Creek, 175 of the 200 phoxocephala 
ollected were from the riffles. In the Carlyle area it was 
ften absent from some of the gravel riffles and was 
ollected most often over a rubble bottom. Its absence 
rom gravel riffles at Carlyle may have been due to 
ompetition for both space and food with the abundant 
eckled madtom, Noturus nocturnus, and young channel 
atfish, Ictalurus punctatus. 
P. shumardi is generally restricted to large rivers. 
' ranges from western and northern Ontario south to 
le coastal plain of Texas and east through much of 
1¢ Ohio and Tennessee river drainages to western 
ake Erie. 
In Illinois this darter is distributed generally in the 
lississippi River but is sporadic in the Illinois, Ohio, 
id Wabash rivers (Smith 1965). In the Kaskaskia it 
as found exclusively from the New Athens area south, 
7 
whcre it was often abundant and usually outnumbered 
the other three species of Percina (Table 2 and Fig. 4). 
Forbes & Richardson (1920) found P. shumardi at Car- 
lyle and Vandalia in the early 1900's, but it has not 
been collected from these stations since that time. 
P. shumardi was collected commonly in areas of 
moderate current over rubble and large gravel. It was 
usually taken in deep riffles and chutes with only the 
young being found in shallower water (2 feet or less). 
The abundance of these four darters at any station 
shows a great deal of yearly variation (Table 3). How- 
ever, the general distribution of these Percing throughout 
the whole river remains about the same. 
REPRODUCTION 
Winn (1958a, 1958) found P. maculata utilizing 
pools and raceways to spawn where it laid its eggs 
in coarse sand or fine gravel in water a foot or more 
deep. Petravicz (1938) found it spawning over sand 
and gravel in water a foot deep and of moderate cur- 
rent. The eggs are abandoned after fertilization. 
In the Kaskaskia (Sullivan area), P. maculata was 
the first of the four species to enter the riffles in num- 
bers in the spring. As early as March 13, 1966, females 
had enlarged urogenital papilla and gonads with up 
to 2,000 enlarged eggs. Gonad weight comprised about 
17 percent of the body weight of adult females collected 
in March. Yearling females collected on April 18, 1966, 
had gonad weights ranging from 2 to 15 percent of the 
total body weight and egg counts ranging from 630 to 
860. The larger of these yearling females probably 
spawned, but the small ones had very small eggs and 
would not have spawned at the end of their first year. 
All four species of Percina spawn from April to 
June. In 1965, fertilized eggs of P. maculata probably 
hatched in early May and young ranged in size from 
16 to 24 mm by June 8. In 1966, high waters apparently 
Taste 3.— Number of individuals of Percina taken in 4 years of collections with rotenone at the 12 stations. A dash indicates 
. collection was made. 
P. maculata 
Station Number and Location 62 °64 °65 °66 
Headwaters eS 
Arcola = 52 69 7 
Sullivan-Bruce 8 67 101 33 
Eagle Creek Jae 9 a ae 
Moore’s Bridge = Ys) Yk) fh 
Above Vandalia G 8 J 1g 
Below Vandalia O OW Wie 
Above Carlyle - - |] l 
Below Carlyle Soe Oe) ae 9 
Below New Athens Oo @ = 
Above Evansville OO sae () 
Below Evansville Che. Se 6 
P. phoxocephala P. caprodes P. shumardi 
(62,764.65) 66 62 °64 °65 °66 562776465 66 
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