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gymnocephala), the bigmouth chub (Nocomis platyrhynchus) Bluestone sculpin Cottus sp., albino cave sculpin Cottus sp., and the candy darter (Etheostoma osburni). Kanawha Falls separates the upper Kanawha (New River) and lower Kanawha drainages. This major fish migration barrier is a likely contributor to the large number of endemic species in the New (McKeown et al. 1984). Fish species isolated above and below migratory barriers at the time of formation could undergo speciation and genetically divergence from ancestral species. Other authors documenting fish distributions throughout the New River (and associated tributaries) within the borders of West Virginia include Goldsborough and Clarke (1908), Hubbs and Trautman (1932),Jenkins et al. (1972), Hocutt and Hambrick 1973, Hocutt et al. (1978 and 1979), Beckham (1980), Hess (1983), Neves (1983), Lobb (1986), Easton et al. (1993), Jenkins and Burkhead (1993), Addair (1994), Easton and Orth (1994), Stauffer et al. (1995), Cincotta et al. 1999, Messinger and Hughes (2000), Paybins et al. (2000), Messinger and Chambers (2001), and Wellman (2002). The Greenbrier River, draining approximately 4000 km 2 , flows through the Monongahela National Forest in the counties of Pocahontas and Greenbrier in West Virginia (Hocutt et al. 1978). It ends its course as a tributary to the New River upstream of Kanawha Falls after flowing southward along the eastern border of the state. The Greenbrier River flows within the New River watershed and shares with it several endemic species: Notropis scabriceps, Etheostoma osburni, Percina gymnocephala, Phenacobius teretulus, and Nocomis platyrhynchus. However, it is also associated with problems concerning that system. Approximately 50% of the New River fish species are not native to the watershed (Wellman 2004). Many of these fishes are now established 17
in the upper Greenbrier River and occur sympatrically with native species of the same family (Hocutt et al. 1978, Cincotta et al. 1999). Included in this group are non-game species such as the telescope shiner (Notropis telescopus), silverjaw minnow (Ericymba buccata), Roanoke darter (Percina roanoka), variegate darter (Etheostoma variatum), whitetail shiner (Cyprinella galactura), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius). The most prevalent theories concerning the mode of congeneric nonnative species introductions into the Greenbrier River involve human facilitation. The arrivals of many fishes were most likely due to bait-bucket introductions (Hocutt and Hambrick 1973, Cincotta et al. 1999, Wellman 2004). Bait-buckets containing baitfish originating in other watersheds could be inadvertently or purposefully dumped into the New River drainage. Other authors have discussed the effects of bait-bucket introductions (Gilbert 1969b, Magnuson 1676, Moyle 1986, Sheldon 1988, Winston et al. 1991, Walser 2000). A sequence of reintroductions and extirpations of two cyprinid species in the Red River drainage in Oklahoma is likely the result of such events. Bait-bucket introductions, providing a source for new individuals, are the likely causes of the sporadic appearances of Notropis bairdi and Hybognathus placitus above the artificial Red River impoundment (Winston et al. 1991). Adding to these inadvertent introductions, early management strategies often included the stocking of game fish and baitfish into depauperate watersheds (Magnuson 1976, Li and Moyle 1981, Sheldon 1988, Cincotta et al. 1999). Congeneric species pairs are two species from the same genus and are therefore similar with regards to both genetics and physical appearance. The following studies discussed in this thesis will involve two congeneric pairs. The current status of the native 18
Page 1 and 2: An Experimental Study of Vertical H
Page 3 and 4: Acknowledgements I would like to th
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Results of
Page 7 and 8: In order for similar species to avo
Page 9 and 10: species diversity should increase (
Page 11 and 12: noting that the abundance of some s
Page 13 and 14: exhibited by species involved; the
Page 15 and 16: new environment (Dueser and Porter
Page 17 and 18: host environment, proposing that a
Page 19 and 20: Hybridization with introduced speci
Page 21: alteration may reduce the habitat s
Page 25 and 26: ubiquitous, appearing in all channe
Page 27 and 28: Literature Cited Addair, J. 1944. T
Page 29 and 30: Gibbs, R. H. 1957. Cyprinid fishes
Page 31 and 32: Lobb, M. D., III. 1986. Habitat use
Page 33 and 34: Paybins, K. S., T. Messinger, J. H.
Page 35 and 36: Chapter 2: An Experimental Study of
Page 37 and 38: Introduction Non-native fishes nega
Page 39 and 40: native cyprinids on their native co
Page 41 and 42: enthic, near-benthic, lower-pelagic
Page 43 and 44: N. telescopus had modes in the lowe
Page 45 and 46: native species pairs were partially
Page 47 and 48: interspecific separation of vertica
Page 49 and 50: MacArthur, R. and R. Levins. 1967.
Page 51 and 52: Table 1. Results of Chi square Test
Page 53 and 54: Total Number of Occurrences 160 140
Page 55: Total Number of Occurrences 160 140

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