Recent Observations of the Distribution and Status of Freckled Madtom and First Record of Spotted Gar in Iowa

The distribution and status of Iowa\u27s fishes were last extensively described in Iowa Fish and Fishing (Harlan et al. 1987). Since then, numerous fish collections have been made in Iowa\u27s interior and bordering rivers and streams. In this paper, I describe recent collections of freckled mad tom (Noturus nocturnus) and spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) from the Upper Mississippi. River (UMR). Six specimens of N. nocturnus were collected from Pool 13 of the UMR in 2001. Although the first documented specimens of N. nocturnus in Iowa were collected in the English River in 1984, few collections have been made throughout the state since: Two specimens of L. oculatus were collected in Pool 13 of the UMR in 2000. Although the spotted gar had not been documented m Iowa waters previously, its presence in the UMR has been hypothesized