Fish Associated with Dikes, Revetments, and Abandoned Channels in the Middle Missouri River

Fish associated with dikes, revetments, and abandoned channels along the Iowa-Nebraska portion of the Missouri River were collected by seining, electrofishing, and hoop netting in June, August, and October 1983. Samples collected by seining dike fields and abandoned channels were\u27 dominated by Cyprinidae and Centrarchidae. Electrofishing samples were dominated by flathead catfish (Pylodictus olivaris), gold eye (Hiodon alosoides), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), river carpsucker, (Carpiodes carpio), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), and blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) in dike fields and revetted banks and by gizzard shad, river carpsucker, and bigmouth buffalo (lctiobus cyprinellus) in the abandoned channels. Among fish collected in unbaited hoop nets, blue suckers and channel catfish (lctalurus punctatus) were prevalent in dike fields; blue suckers, flathead catfish, and shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus) along revetted banks; and white crappie (Pomoxis annualaris), black crappie (P. nigromaculatus), river carpsucker, black bullhead (lctalurus melas), bigmouth buffalo, and gizzard shad in abandoned channels. Gear selectivity and differences in sampling efficiency in the diverse riverine habitats precluded statistical comparisons of most samples and stressed the need for development of improved sampling techniques and designs for large river fishery research