Exotic Piscivorous Fishes and Reduced Intermittence Affect Suckermouth Minnows in a Southeastern Wyoming Stream

Abstract

Suckermouth minnows (Phenacobius mirabilis) are widespread throughout the central United States and are most abundant in streams and rivers of the upper Mississippi and lower Ohio river basins (Lee et al. 1980, Pflieger 1997). Stream systems in southeastern Wyoming and eastern Colorado represent the western boundary for suckermouth minnows (Lee et al. 1980). Recent sampling in Wyoming, i.e., since 1990, has identified only two suckermouth minnow populations: one in the lower Laramie River and one in Horse Creek. In the Laramie River, suckermouth minnows are rare, but a relatively abundant population occurs in a segment of Horse Creek. We describe the current distribution of suckermouth minnows in the Horse Creek watershed and identify factors that could affect their status and conservation.