4 
Ferguson Creek were made near the Route 70 bridge 
2 miles east of Smithland, a locality approximately 
30 miles (48 km) from the Big Creek study area 
(sige lay 
Both study streams have three predominant habi- 
tats: riffles, slab pools, and non-slab pools. Riffles 
in Big Creek are mostly of coarse gravel, non-slab 
pools are only moderately deep (seldom over 1 m) 
and usually have a sand and gravel bottom, and 
slab pools are shallow with a substrate of gravel 
laden with slab rocks ranging from 100 to 400 mm 
across. In Ferguson Creek, slab pools have essentially 
the same physical characteristics as those of Big 
Creek, non-slab pools are generally deeper and al- 
most exclusively sandbottomed, and riffles are of 
larger stones, mainly small slab rocks up to 150 mm 
across. 
METHODS 
Observations and minnow-seine collections were 
made at approximately monthly intervals except dur- 
ing spawning periods, when more frequent observa- 
tions were made. Studies were begun in Big Creek 
on 6 October 1970 and in Ferguson Creek on 22 
April 1971 and were terminated in both streams on 
19 June 1973. Specimens collected for laboratory 
examination were preserved and stored in 10-percent 
formalin. From Big Creek 601 E. squamiceps and 
from Ferguson Creek 430 E. squamiceps were pre 
served and examined. 
Beginning in August 1971, collections were mad 
by habitat in the two streams, and numbers ; 
specimens were recorded by month as having bee 
taken from riffles, slab pools, or non-slab pools. Wh; 
was considered to be approximately the same samplin 
effort was expended on each of the three habitat 
Potential predators captured during seining operatior 
were preserved in formalin for later examination ; 
stomach contents. Field notes on ambient conditior 
and darter behavior were routinely taken. 
By repeatedly seining a measured area until 7 
more darters were collected, quantitative samp) 
were taken in each of the three habitats in Ju 
1972, October 1972, January 1973, and April 197 
In the laboratory, all darters were sexed, measure 
and aged. Large specimens were sexed by examinit 
the genital papillae; small ones were sexed by exami 
ing the gonads. In addition to the standard lengt! 
(SL) of all specimens, the lengths of the ani 
pectoral, pelvic, and soft-dorsal fins and the depths, 
the caudal peduncles of 40 males and 40 femal 
of more than 30 mm SL from Ferguson Cre 
were measured as potential expressions of sexu 
dimorphism. Unless stated otherwise, measuremer 
in the text are standard lengths. 
Aging to year class was done by counting t 
annuli on scales removed from the dorsum near t! 
TABLE 1.— Habitat distribution by percentages of Etheostoma squamiceps collected in Big and Ferguson Creeks | 
tween 25 August 1971 and 19 June 1973. 
a ————————————————— 
ooo 
Big Creek Sample 
Percentage of H. squamiceps in 
Number 
Ferguson Creek Sample 
Percentage of EH. squamiceps in | 
Number | 
Non-sl 
Month Collected Slab Gravel Non-slab Collected Slab Slab 
Pools Riffles Pools Pools Riffles Pool 
SE EE eee 
Adults | 
January 3 100 0 0 15 7 93 0. 
February 9 100 0 0 9 33 67 0. 
March 4 100 0 0 5 0 100 0 
April 4 100 0 0 3 100 0 | 
May 37 57 0 3 16 19 81 0 
June 8 100 0 0 8 0 100 0 
July 6 100 0 0 3 0 100 0 
August 22 100 0 0 8 0 100 o>. 
September 30 100 0 0 13 30 70 0 
October 21 86 9 5 1 0 100 07 
November aa 100 0 0 9 “pt 89 0 
December 5 80 20 0 4 0 15 25 
Young 
January 8 100 0 0 27 26 41 33 
February 14 93 0 7 28 57 43 0 
March 19 100 0 0 4 0 100 0 
April 11 100 0 0 19 63 37 0 
June 0 ate ~ 1 0 0 100 
July 10 30 70 0 64 11 73 16 
August Pal 100 0 0 15 0 100 0 
September 25 56 44 0 43 2 96 2 
October 19 32 68 0 30 0 100 0 
November 47 94 4 2 38 21 76 3 
December 13 92 8 0 9 0 100 0) 
fn a i a 
