The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park, 

Arkansas, 2003

Prepared in cooperation with the

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5129
The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military 

Park, Arkansas, 2003

By B.G. Justus and James C. Petersen

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5129

Prepared in cooperation with the

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

Gale A. Norton, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2005

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Contents

 iii

Abstract...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Description of Study Area....................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Methods ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Relation of Fishes to Habitat and Distributional Ranges ........................................................................................................ 6

Species of Interest........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Summary .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

References .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Figures

1. Map showing location of sampling sites at Pea Ridge National Military Park ................................................................. 2

Tables

1. Site-specific information for six fish sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003 ............................ 3

2. Number of fish collected at six sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003...................................... 4

3. Percent relative abundance of fish collected at four sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park,

2003................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

4. Abundance classification of fish collected at four sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003 .... 5

5. List of fish species expected to occur at Pea Ridge National Military Park...................................................................... 7
The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas, 

2003

By B.G. Justus and James C. Petersen

Abstract

A fish inventory was conducted at Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas, during base-flow conditions in September 

2003. Six sites including four streams and two ponds were sampled using conventional electrofishing equipment (a seine also 

was used at one site). There were 654 individuals collected 

comprising 19 species (plus 1 hybrid) and 15 genera. The number of species collected at the four stream sites ranged from 1 to 

17. Most fish species collected generally are associated with 

small streams in the Ozark Plateaus. The two most common 

species were the banded sculpin and the southern redbelly dace. 

Three species and a sunfish hybrid were collected from the 

quarry pond. No fish were collected from the unnamed pond. 

A preliminary expected species list incorrectly listed 42 

species because of incorrect species range or habitat requirements. One species not on the original list was added to the 

revised list. Upon revising this list, the inventory yielded 19 of 

the 40 species (48 percent) and 1 hybrid. 

No previous fish inventories have been completed for the 

park but some observations can be made relative to species distributions. There were only five fish species collected in three 

headwater streams, and it is unlikely that many other species 

would occur in these three streams because of constraints 

imposed on the fish community by stream size. Little Sugar 

Creek, a medium-sized stream, had the most species collected, 

and it is likely that additional species would be collected from 

this stream if additional sampling were to occur. Distribution 

records indicate that all 19 species occur in the general area. 

Although no species collected in this study are federallylisted threatened or endangered species, three species collected 

at Pea Ridge National Military Park may be of some special 

interest to National Park Service managers and others. Two of 

the species collected (cardinal shiner and stippled darter) are 

endemic to the Ozark Plateaus; both are rather common in certain parts of the Ozark Plateaus. The white sucker has a 

restricted range in Arkansas because northern Arkansas is at the 

southern edge of the white sucker’s distributional range.

Introduction

The National Parks Omnibus Management Act (1998) 

facilitated a monitoring program that enables National Park 

Service (NPS) employees to effectively monitor important 

selected natural resources located on parks managed by the 

NPS. The Heartland Network, a part of the NPS Inventory and 

Monitoring Program, is coordinating inventories of vascular 

plants and vertebrates in 15 parks in 8 midwestern States (Boetsch and others, 2000). Data collected over extended periods 

eventually will be evaluated to determine how biological communities are changing and to ensure that resources are being 

managed properly. 

One of the 15 parks being inventoried is the Pea Ridge 

National Military Park, a park that commemorates the site 

where approximately 26,000 Confederate and Union soldiers 

fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge on March 7 and 8, 1862. The 

U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the NPS, Heartland Network, inventoried fishes of the park. 

The purpose of this report is to provide the NPS with information related to fish species of the park. This information 

includes a list of fish collected during an inventory of the fish 

species of the park conducted during base-flow conditions in 

September 2003, relative abundance of each species at each collection site, and a revised list of expected species at the park. 

Methods used to conduct the inventory also are described.

Thanks are extended to Curtis Tilghman with Pea Ridge 

National Military Park who assisted with locating sampling 

sites and with field sampling. 

Description of Study Area

 Pea Ridge National Military Park (fig. 1) is located in 

northwestern Arkansas, a few miles northeast of the city of 

Rogers, on approximately 1,740 hectares (6.7 mi2

). Pea Ridge 

National Military Park lies in the Springfield Plateau (Fenneman, 1938) and is dominated by mature deciduous hardwoods, 

which are sometimes bordered by grassland (National Park Service, 2004).
Figure 1. Location of sampling sites at Pea Ridge National Military Park.

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Methods 3

A number of small waterbodies occur within the boundaries of Pea Ridge National Military Park. All of the streams of 

Pea Ridge National Military Park, with the exception of Little 

Sugar Creek that flows along the southern boundary, originate 

within the boundaries of Pea Ridge National Military Park. At 

least two of the streams are spring fed. The streams are in the 

Arkansas River Basin. Several small ponds also occur within 

the boundaries of Pea Ridge National Military Park.

Fish were sampled at six sites in Pea Ridge National Military Park (fig. 1, table 1). The three headwater streams (drainage areas were less than 2.6 km2

 (1 mi2)) that were sampled 

included two spring runs, Winton Spring Run and Pratt Creek, 

and a slightly larger stream, Lee Creek (which may or may not 

be spring fed and could be intermittent during low flow periods). Little Sugar Creek, the medium-sized stream (drainage 

area approximately 44 km2

 (17 mi2)) (Sullavan and Terry, 

1970), was mostly wadeable and flowed along the southern border of Pea Ridge National Military Park in a westerly direction. 

The small quarry pond and the small, unnamed pond were 

located near the center of Pea Ridge National Military Park. The 

quarry pond was bordered by large limestone boulders and was 

not wadeable. The unnamed pond appeared to have been constructed long ago and was wadeable.

Methods

 Prior to fish sampling in the streams, a sampling reach 

was designated. Once designated, military-issue global positioning system (GPS) unit utilizing the Precise Positioning Service (PPS, authorized to U.S. Federal Civilian Agencies by the 

Department of Defense) was used to obtain Universe Transverse Mercator (UTM) measurements according to North 

American Datum of 1983 (NAD83). UTM measurements were 

made at the upstream and downstream ends of the reach. 

Because the measurements were made with PPS, no correction 

to the position was necessary.

Fish were collected at six sites during base-flow conditions 

in September 2003 using direct-current electrofishing equipment (a seine also was used at one site). At the three headwater 

streams and the unnamed pond, a battery powered backpackelectrofishing unit was used to collect fish. A combination of 

seining and backpack-electrofishing was used at the mediumsized stream and an electrofishing boat was used to sample fish 

in the quarry pond.

Table 1. Site information for six fish sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003.

[EBP, electrofishing backpack; EB, electrofishing boat; BPS, electrofishing backpack/seine combination; n/a, not applicable]

1 Winton Spring Run 9/17/2003 0407033 E/ 04033082 N 0406976E/ 4033041N EBP

2 Lee Creek 9/19/2003 0406116 E/ 04033187 N 0406026E/ 4033067N EBP

3 Pratt Creek 9/19/2003 0407162 E/ 04033098 N 0407083E/4033013N EBP

4 Little Sugar Creek 9/18/2003 0405651 E/ 04030859 N 0405175E/ 4030784N BPS

5 Quarry Pond 9/18/2003 0406059 E/ 04034768 N n/a EB

6 Unnamed pond 9/19/2003 0407549 E/ 04035862 N2 n/a EBP

Site number

and name

Sampling

date

Reach

length

(meters)

Easting/Northing

(upstream)1

1

The horizontal datum used for obtaining Universe Transverse Mercator (UTM) measurements was North American Datum of 1983 

(NAD83).

Easting/Northing

(downstream)1 Gear 

Estimated

sampling

time

(minutes)

80 90

150 35

200 40

300 180

n/a 45

n/a

2Reading at pond dam.

10
4 The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas, 2003

Small mesh dipnets were used to collect fish incapacitated 

by the sampling equipment. Once fish had been netted, they 

were temporarily placed in a plastic bucket containing ambient 

stream water. After a brief sampling period (and partial sampling of the reach), fish in the bucket were identified (Robison 

and Buchanan, 1988; Pflieger, 1997; Nelson and others, 2004) 

and counted; fish numbers were recorded on field sheets by species and all fish collected were identified to species. Photographs were taken of each species collected, and specimens that 

could be identified in the field were released outside of the area 

being sampled. Fish that were not readily identifiable in the 

field were preserved for laboratory identification. This process 

was repeated until the entire stream reach was sampled. The 

amount of time spent sampling and identifying fish at each site 

generally varied by water body size and also was recorded on 

field sheets. Site-specific location and collecting information 

for all sampling efforts are provided in table 1.

At the four stream sites, all fish that could be collected 

were counted and relative abundance was determined for each 

species. Numbers for fish collected at the four stream sites are 

reported both by individual occurrence (table 2) and by relative 

abundance (table 3). However, the sole purpose of sampling the 

quarry and the unnamed pond was to determine what species 

occurred there. Consequently, only a few representatives of 

each species encountered at the quarry and the unnamed pond 

were collected and relative abundance was not calculated.

Fish species collected also are classified according to how 

common they occurred in this study. Criteria for this classification were based on percent relative abundance and were as follows: most common - greater than 20.0 percent, common - 10.0 

to 20.0 percent, least common - 2.0 to 10.0 percent, and rare - 

less than 2.0 percent, and not collected (table 4).

At the onset of the study, the NPS provided the USGS with 

a preliminary list of fish (Boetsch and others, 2000) based on 

county records from maps in Robison and Buchanan (1988) that 

were expected to occur at Pea Ridge National Military Park. 

This list was provided with the intent that the USGS would 

make revisions that would result in a more accurate list of fish 

species that could reasonably be expected to occur at the park, 

and was to be used as a guide to determine if 90 percent of those 

species reasonably expected to occur at the park had been documented. The preliminary list included some fish that probably 

do not occur at Pea Ridge National Military Park because the 

park is outside of the species’ range, or the aquatic habitats in 

the park are not representative of the typical habitat inhabited by 

the species. After reviewing the literature and environmental 

settings at Pea Ridge National Military Park, the list was revised 

to better reflect species that have been collected and could occur 

in the park.

Table 2. Number of fish collected at six sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003.

[--, not collected]

Banded sculpin

Black bullhead

Bluegill

Bluegill X green sunfish hybrid

Cardinal shiner

Central stoneroller

Creek chub

Fantail darter

Green sunfish

Largemouth bass

Northern hog sucker

Ozark minnow

Orangethroat darter

Redspot chub

Shadow bass

Slender madtom

Smallmouth bass

Southern redbelly dace

Stippled darter

White sucker

Number of species collected

Number of individuals collected

Common name Scientific name

Winton

Spring

Run

 Lee

Creek

 Pratt

Creek

Little 

Sugar

Creek

 Quarry 

Pond

 Unnamed

pond 

Cottus carolinae 20 1 4 15 -- --

Ameiurus melas -- -- -- -- 1 --

Lepomis macrochirus -- -- -- -- 79 --

Lepomis macrochirus X L. cyanellus -- -- -- -- 10 --

Luxilus cardinalis -- -- -- 43 -- --

Campostoma anomalum -- 2 -- 66 -- --

Semotilus atromaculatus -- 6 17 49 -- --

Etheostoma flabellare -- -- -- 54 -- --

Lepomis cyanellus -- -- -- 6 17 --

Micropterus salmoides -- -- -- 1 -- --

Hypentelium nigricans -- -- -- 1 -- --

Notropis nubilus -- -- -- 2 -- --

Etheostoma spectabile -- 2 -- 35 -- --

Nocomis asper -- -- -- 9 -- --

Ambloplites ariommus -- -- -- 2 -- --

Noturus exilis -- -- -- 5 -- --

Micropterus dolomieu -- -- -- 1 -- --

Phoxinus erythrogaster -- 48 84 38 -- --

Etheostoma punctulatum -- -- -- 34 -- --

Catostomus commersoni -- -- -- 2 -- --

1 5 3 17 3 0

20 59 105 363 107 0
Table 3. Percent relative abundance of fish collected at four sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003.

[Fish sampling at the two pond sites was qualitative and relative abundance was not calculated; --, not collected at site]

Banded sculpin

Black bullhead

Cardinal shiner

Central stoneroller

Creek chub

Fantail darter

Green sunfish

Largemouth bass

Northern hog sucker

Ozark minnow

Orangethroat darter

Redspot chub

Shadow bass

Slender madtom

Smallmouth bass

Southern redbelly dace

Stippled darter

White sucker

Table 4. Abundance classification of fish collected at four sampling sites within Pea Ridge National Military Park, 2003.

[MC, most common (greater than 20.0 percent); C, common (10.0 to 20.0 percent); LC, least common (2.0 to 10.0 percent); R, rare (less than 2.0 percent);

--, not collected]

Banded sculpin

Cardinal shiner

Central stoneroller

Creek chub

Fantail darter

Green sunfish

Largemouth bass

Northern hog sucker

Ozark minnow

Orangethroat darter

Redspot chub

Shadow bass

Slender madtom

Smallmouth bass

Southern redbelly dace

Stippled darter

White sucker

 Methods 5

Common name Scientific name

Winton

Spring

Run

Lee

Creek

Pratt 

Creek

Little 

Sugar

Creek

Cottus carolinae 100.0 1.7 3.8 4.1

Ameiurus melas -- -- -- --

Luxilus cardinalis -- -- -- 11.8

Campostoma anomalum -- 3.4 -- 18.2

Semotilus atromaculatus -- 10.2 16.2 13.5

Etheostoma flabellare -- -- -- 14.9

Lepomis cyanellus -- -- -- 1.7

Micropterus salmoides -- -- -- 0.3

Hypentelium nigricans -- -- -- 0.3

Notropis nubilus -- -- -- 0.6

Etheostoma spectabile -- 3.4 -- 9.6

Nocomis asper -- -- -- 2.5

Ambloplites ariommus -- -- -- 0.6

Noturus exilis -- -- -- 1.4

Micropterus dolomieu -- -- -- 0.3

Phoxinus erythrogaster -- 81.4 80.0 10.5

Etheostoma punctulatum -- -- -- 9.4

Catostomus commersoni -- -- -- 0.6

Common name Scientific name

Winton

Spring 

Run

Lee

Creek

Pratt 

Creek

Little

Sugar

Creek

Cottus carolinae MC R LC LC

Luxilus cardinalis -- -- -- C

Campostoma anomalum -- LC -- C

Semotilus atromaculatus -- C C C

Etheostoma flabellare -- -- -- C

Lepomis cyanellus -- -- -- R

Micropterus salmoides -- -- -- R

Hypentelium nigricans -- -- -- R

Notropis nubilus -- -- -- R

Etheostoma spectabile -- LC -- LC

Nocomis asper -- -- -- LC

Ambloplites ariommus -- -- -- R

Noturus exilis -- -- -- R

Micropterus dolomieu -- -- -- R

Phoxinus erythrogaster -- MC MC C

Etheostoma punctulatum -- -- -- LC

Catostomus commersoni -- -- -- R
6 The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas, 2003

Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park

There were 654 individuals collected at the six sampling 

sites (tables 2 and 3). These individuals represented 19 species 

(plus one hybrid) and 15 genera. Most fish species collected 

generally are associated with small streams in the Ozark Plateaus. The number of species collected at the four stream sites 

ranged from 1 to 17. Three species and a sunfish hybrid (Lepomis macrochirus x L. cyanellus) were collected from the quarry 

pond. No fish were collected from the unnamed pond. Distribution records indicate that all 18 species occur in the general area 

and all are native to the area and are not exotic (Robison and 

Buchanan, 1988; Pflieger, 1997). No species collected in this 

study are federally-listed threatened or endangered species 

(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2004).

Two species were classified as “most common”—the 

banded sculpin (Cottus carolinae) and southern redbelly dace 

(Phoxinus erythrogaster) (table 4). Several species were collected at only one site and were not common at this site (table 

4). 

The preliminary expected species list incorrectly listed 42 

species because of incorrect species range or habitat requirements (table 5). One species not on the original list was added 

to the revised list. Upon revising this list, the inventory yielded 

19 of the 40 species (48 percent) and 1 hybrid (table 5). 

Relation of Fishes to Habitats and Distributional 

Ranges

The two most common species (banded sculpin and southern redbelly dace) are typical of habitats found in streams of Pea 

Ridge National Military Park. Both species have preferences for 

small, headwater streams and spring runs (Robison and Buchanan, 1988). The bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), cardinal 

shiner (Luxilus cardinalis), central stoneroller (Campostoma 

anomalum), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), and fantail 

darter (Etheostoma flabellare) also were common at one or 

more sites. Bluegill often are abundant in small ponds. Cardinal 

shiners are often one of the more abundant species in small 

creeks in the Arkansas River Basin (Pflieger, 1997). Creek 

chubs were common in three streams at Pea Ridge National 

Military Park and are typical of headwater streams in the Ozark 

Plateaus (Robison and Buchanan, 1988). 

Several species were collected at only one site and were 

not common at that site (table 2). Five or less black bullhead 

(Ameiurus melas), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), 

northern hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans), Ozark minnow 

(Notropis nubilis), shadow bass (Ambloplites arriomus), slender madtom (Noturus exilis), smallmouth bass (Micropterus 

dolomieu), and white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) were 

collected at single sites. The black bullhead was collected from 

the Quarry Pond and all other species were collected from Little 

Sugar Creek. With the exception of the black bullhead (which 

prefers lakes and quiet pools of small

streams), largemouth bass (which prefers streams or parts of 

streams with little current), and white sucker (which is uncommon in Arkansas), these species generally are not uncommon in 

streams of this part of the Ozark Plateaus.

Several species potentially present within the boundaries 

of Pea Ridge National Military Park (and on the preliminary list 

of expected species) were not collected during 2003 and many 

of these species, while potentially present, are unlikely to be 

found within Pea Ridge National Military Park (for reasons 

described in Robison and Buchanan, 1988). Four species typically occur in larger streams and one species has only been 

reported in Arkansas from caves (table 5). Thirty-nine additional species were removed from the list because they are 

absent from or rare in the Arkansas River drainage or the part of 

the Arkansas River Basin near Pea Ridge National Military 

Park (table 5).

No previous fish inventories have been completed for the 

park but some observations can be made relative to species distributions. There were only five fish species collected in the 

three headwater streams, and it is unlikely that many other species would occur at these three sites because of constraints 

imposed on the fish community by drainage basin size, which 

generally determines quantity of streamflow. Little Sugar 

Creek, the medium-sized stream, had the most species collected 

and it is likely that additional species would be collected from 

this stream if additional sampling was to occur. 

Species of Interest 

 Although no species collected in this study are federally-listed threatened or endangered species (U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 2004), three species collected at Pea Ridge 

National Military Park may be of some special interest to NPS 

managers and others. Two of the species collected (cardinal 

shiner and stippled darter, Etheostoma punctulatum) are 

endemic to the Ozark Plateaus; both are rather common in certain parts of the Ozark Plateaus. The white sucker has a 

restricted range in Arkansas because northern Arkansas is at the 

southern edge of the white sucker’s distributional range (Robison and Buchanan, 1988; Pflieger, 1977).
 Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park 7

Table 5. Lists of fish species expected to occur at Pea Ridge National Military Park.

[Preliminary list, list provided by National Park Service; Revised list, list compiled by USGS after review of pertinent literature; USGS, collected by USGS in 

2003; 0, unexpected, park is outside of species' range or lacks appropriate habitat; 1, species is expected within park; 2, collected; 3, collected but not on the preliminary list. Comments based on information from Robison and Buchanan (1988); ARB, Arkansas River Basin] 

Family name Genus species Common name

Preliminary

list

Revised

list USGS Comment

Amblyopsidae Amblyopsis rosae Ozark cavefish 1 0 No In Arkansas, reported only from caves

Atherinidae Labidesthes sicculus Brook silverside 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Catostomidae Moxostoma duquesnei Black redhorse 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Catostomidae Moxostoma erythrurum Golden redhorse 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Catostomidae Carpiodes velifer Highfin carpsucker 1 0 No Not in ARB

Catostomidae Hypentelium nigricans Northern hog sucker 1 2 Yes

Catostomidae Moxostoma carinatum River redhorse 1 1 No Typically occurs in larger rivers

Catostomidae Ictiobus bubalus Smallmouth buffalo 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Catostomidae Minytrema melanops Spotted sucker 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Catostomidae Catostomus commersoni White sucker 1 2 Yes

Centrarchidae Pomoxis nigromaculatus Black crappie 1 1 No

Centrarchidae Lepomis macrochirus Bluegill 1 2 Yes

Centrarchidae Lepomis marginatus Dollar sunfish 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Centrarchidae Lepomis cyanellus Green sunfish 1 2 Yes

Centrarchidae Micropterus salmoides Largemouth bass 1 2 Yes

Centrarchidae Lepomis megalotis Longear sunfish 1 1 No

Centrarchidae Lepomis humilis Orangespotted sunfish 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Centrarchidae Ambloplites rupestris Rock bass 1 1 No

Centrarchidae Ambloplites ariommus Shadow bass 1 2 Yes

Centrarchidae Micropterus dolomieu Smallmouth bass 1 2 Yes

Centrarchidae Micropterus punctulatus Spotted bass 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Centrarchidae Lepomis gulosus Warmouth 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Centrarchidae Pomoxis annularis White crappie 1 1 No

Clupeidae Dorosoma cepedianum Gizzard shad 1 1 No

Clupeidae Dorosoma petenense Threadfin shad 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cottidae Cottus carolinae Banded sculpin 1 2 Yes

Cyprinidae Hybopsis amblops Bigeye chub 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Pimephales notatus Bluntnose minnow 1 1 No

Cyprinidae Luxilus cardinalis Cardinal shiner 1 2 Yes

Cyprinidae Notropis percobromus1 Carmine shiner1 1 1 No

Cyprinidae Campostoma anomalum Central stoneroller 1 2 Yes

Cyprinidae Cyprinus carpio Common carp 1 1 No

Cyprinidae Semotilus atromaculatus Creek chub 1 2 Yes
8 The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas, 2003

Cyprinidae Luxilus pilsbryi Duskystripe shiner 1 0 No Not in ARB

Cyprinidae Pimephales promelas Fathead minnow 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Notropis buchanani Ghost shiner 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Notemigonus crysoleucas Golden shiner 1 1 No

Cyprinidae Carassius auratus Goldfish 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Ctenopharyngodon idella Grass carp 1 1 No

Cyprinidae Erimystax x-punctatus Gravel chub 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Nocomis biguttatus Hornyhead chub 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Campostoma oligolepis Largescale stoneroller 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Erimystax harryi Ozark chub 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Notropis nubilus Ozark minnow 1 2 Yes

Cyprinidae Notropis ozarcanus Ozark shiner 1 0 No Not in ARB

Cyprinidae Lythrurus umbratilis Redfin shiner 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Nocomis asper Redspot chub 1 2 Yes

Cyprinidae Phoxinus erythrogaster Southern redbelly dace 1 2 Yes

Cyprinidae Cyprinella spiloptera Spotfin shiner 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Cyprinella whipplei Steelcolor shiner 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Luxilus chrysocephalus Striped shiner 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Cyprinidae Notropis telescopus Telescope shiner 1 0 No Not in ARB

Cyprinidae Notropis greenei Wedgespot shiner 1 0 No Not in ARB

Cyprinidae Pimephales tenellus Slim minnow 1 0 No

Cyprinidae Cyprinella galactura Whitetail shiner 1 0 No Not in ARB

Fundulidae Fundulus olivaceus Blackspotted topminnow 1 1 No

Fundulidae Fundulus notatus Blackstripe topminnow 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Fundulidae Fundulus catenatus Northern studfish 1 1 No

Ictaluridae Ameiurus melas Black bullhead 1 2 Yes

Ictaluridae Ictalurus furcatus Blue catfish 1 0 No Typically occurs in larger rivers

Ictaluridae Ictalurus punctatus Channel catfish 1 1 No

Ictaluridae Pylodictis olivaris Flathead catfish 1 1 No Typically occurs in larger streams

Ictaluridae Noturus albater Ozark madtom 1 0 No Not in ARB

Ictaluridae Noturus exilis Slender madtom 3 2 Yes

Ictaluridae Ameiurus natalis Yellow bullhead 1 1 No

Lepisosteidae Lepisosteus osseus Longnose gar 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Moronidae Morone chrysops White bass 1 1 No Typically occurs in larger rivers

Table 5. Lists of fish species expected to occur at Pea Ridge National Military Park.—Continued

[Preliminary list, list provided by National Park Service; Revised list, list compiled by USGS after review of pertinent literature; USGS, collected by USGS in 

2003; 0, unexpected, park is outside of species' range or lacks appropriate habitat; 1, species is expected within park; 2, collected; 3, collected but not on the preliminary list. Comments based on information from Robison and Buchanan (1988); ARB, Arkansas River Basin] 

Family name Genus species Common name

Preliminary

list

Revised

list USGS Comment
 Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park 9

Percidae Etheostoma cragini Arkansas darter 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Percidae Etheostoma euzonum Arkansas saddled darter 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Percidae Etheostoma zonale Banded darter 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Percidae Etheostoma flabellare Fantail darter 1 2 Yes

Percidae Etheostoma blennioides Greenside darter 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Percidae Etheostoma microperca Least darter 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Percidae Percina caprodes Logperch 1 1 No

Percidae Percina nasuta Longnose darter 1 0 No Not in ARB

Percidae Etheostoma spectabile Orangethroat darter 1 2 Yes

Percidae Percina phoxocephala Slenderhead darter 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Percidae Etheostoma stigmaeum Speckled darter 1 1 No

Percidae Etheostoma punctulatum Stippled darter 1 2 Yes

Petromyzontidae Ichthyomyzon cataneus Chestnut lamprey 1 1 No

Petromyzontidae Ichthyomyzon gagei Southern brook lamprey 1 0 No Not reported from this part of ARB

Poeciliidae Gambusia affinis Western mosquitofish 1 1 No

1

Formerly known as rosyface shiner, Notropis rubellus.

Table 5. Lists of fish species expected to occur at Pea Ridge National Military Park.—Continued

[Preliminary list, list provided by National Park Service; Revised list, list compiled by USGS after review of pertinent literature; USGS, collected by USGS in 

2003; 0, unexpected, park is outside of species' range or lacks appropriate habitat; 1, species is expected within park; 2, collected; 3, collected but not on the preliminary list. Comments based on information from Robison and Buchanan (1988); ARB, Arkansas River Basin] 

Family name Genus species Common name

Preliminary

list

Revised

list USGS Comment
10 The Fishes of Pea Ridge National Military Park, Arkansas, 2003

Summary

 A fish inventory was conducted at Pea Ridge National 

Military Park, Arkansas, during base-flow conditions in September 2003. Six sites including three small headwater streams, 

a medium- sized stream, a small quarry pond, and a small, 

unnamed pond were sampled using conventional electrofishing 

equipment (a seine also was used at one site). At the three headwater streams and the unnamed pond, a battery powered backpack-electrofishing unit was used to collect fish. A combination 

of seining and backpack-electrofishing was used at the 

medium-sized stream and an electrofishing boat was used to 

sample fish in the quarry pond. All fish collected were identified to species. There were 654 individuals collected comprising 19 species (plus 1 hybrid) and 15 genera. The number of 

species collected at the four stream sites ranged from 1 to 17. 

Most fish species collected generally are associated with small 

streams in the Ozark Plateaus. The two most common species 

were the banded sculpin and the southern redbelly dace. Three 

species and a sunfish hybrid were collected from the quarry 

pond. No fish were collected from the unnamed pond. 

The preliminary expected species list incorrectly listed 42 

species because of incorrect species range or habitat requirements. One species not on the original list was added to the 

revised list. Upon revising this list, the inventory yielded 19 of 

the 40 species (48 percent) and 1 hybrid. 

Although no species collected in this study are federallylisted threatened or endangered species, three species collected 

at Pea Ridge National Military Park may be of some special 

interest to NPS managers and others. Two of the species collected (cardinal shiner and stippled darter) are endemic to the 

Ozark Plateaus; both are rather common in certain parts of the 

Ozark Plateaus. The white sucker has a restricted range in 

Arkansas because northern Arkansas is at the southern edge of 

the white sucker’s distributional range.

References 

Boetsch, John, DeBacker, Michael, Hughes, Phillip, Peitz, 

David, Thomas, Lisa, Wagner, Gia, and Witcher, Brian, 

2000, A study plan to inventory vascular plants and vertebrates: Heartland Network, National Park Service.

Fenneman, N.M., 1938, Physiography of eastern United States: 

New York, McGraw-Hill, 689 p.

National Park Service, 2004, Pea Ridge National Military Park: 

accessed March 24, 2004 at http://www.nps.gov/peri/.

Nelson, J.S., Crossman, E.J., Espinoza-Perez, Hector, Findley, 

L.T., Gilbert, C.R., Lea, R.N., and Williams, J.D., 2004, 

Common and scientific names of fishes from the United 

States, Canada, and Mexico: Bethesda, Maryland, American 

Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, 386 p.

Pflieger, W.L., 1997, The fishes of Missouri (revised edition): 

Jefferson City, Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation, 372 p.

Robison, H.W. and Buchanan, T.M., 1988, Fishes of Arkansas: 

Fayetteville, Arkansas, The University of Arkansas Press, 

536 p.

Sullavan, J.N. and Terry J.E., 1970, Drainage areas of streams 

in Arkansas: Arkansas River Basin: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report, 75 p.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2004, Threatened and endangered animals and plants: accessed March 24, 2004 at http://

endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html.