Ichthyofaunal Assemblages in Three Approximate but Ecologically Diverse Streams in Clark County, Arkansas

Three tributaries to the Ouachita River in eastern Clark County, Arkansas, empty into the river within a collective distance of about 9 km. The streams drain basins derived from the Wilcox formation, partially overlain by terrace and alluvial deposits. Despite their proximity, the streams are very different: L\u27Eau Frais has a gravel substrate and was recognized by the French as a cool water stream, Tupelo Creek is a bottomland stream from which numerous Water Tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) emerge, and Saline Bayou was named due to its marked salinity. We studied the assemblages of fishes in these 3 very different drainages to evaluate the occurrence of species and the degree of similarity of the ichthyofaunas. L\u27Eau Frais differed from the other streams in a greater occurrence of lampreys (Petromyzontidae), including a disjunct population of Lampetra appendix, and suckers (Catostomidae), including the relatively uncommon Blacktail Redhorse (Moxostoma poecilurum). Tupelo Creek had an assemblage of species characteristic of a bottomland stream, and Saline Bayou had the least diverse fish fauna