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Fish of the Area

Many laws now include the requirement for maintaining "biodiversity", the meaning of which is obscure and debated. It may mean that no species shall be lost, the objective of people working with threatened and endangered species. It may mean that there be a long list of species, the number often called "richness". Knowing the fish of the area seems very important for many reasons. Some of those are the reasons for tending and protecting threatened species. Other reasons include the need to manage the species for freshwater molluscs since a particular fish species is an essential part of the life history of each species. Of course they are a valuable food source for many other animals ... snakes, birds, mammals. They hold or embody nutrients, temporarily preventing them from moving downstream and retaining them within each upland subsystem.

The list, especially if it contains comments on sex, age, reproductive condition, the method(s) used to sample them, and observed stream barriers, can be invaluable in making comparisons between periods, at least answering simple questions such as "is the richness the same?" Investigators need to answer "is this 27 species the same as the 27 species present 10 years ago?" But this and other questions can begin with a list. Fish expected but not found should be listed by staff or expert consultants.

The list can become "the resource" for native fish watchers seeking to build a life list of fish species seen (or seen in a specific area or drainage). One copy of the list should list the species with common names in order of probable abundance or rarity. Some observers within an area will find the number in such a list to be similar to a score and it may contribute to a well-regulated sport of native fish observing.

Multiple methods of sampling are needed since (for example, sculpins have low susceptibility to nets and traps). Dating the collections is essential so that staff can relate changes in breeding periods (as might result from global warming.)

The following is a list of the species of fish known for the Area. This is an area list so details of what fish have been observed in each stream reach or water body are missing. Information from collections within the area is welcomed and will be included in the database. The fish richness is xxx.

The total number of species of fish found in Virginia is yyy. The relative fish richness score for the area is therefore xxx/yyy.

Consult the Extension service or state wildlife information system for detailed information about each species.

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