The fishes of the Obion River system

A survey was conducted to determine the species composition of fishes in the Obion River system in northwest Tennessee. This system, draining most of northwest Tennessee, has largely been subjected to channelization practices within the past 50 or 60 years. Within the drainage is Reelfoot Lake, a large, shallow lake offering a unique habitat to the system. This survey was conducted at various times during 1971 and 1973, while a large number of collections were reported from the records of other investigators. Collections were reported from a large number of streams within the system, with most records coming from the Reelfoot Lake area and the principle forks of the system. Survey methods employed by the collectors included seining, chemical application, and to a small extent, hoop netting and gill netting. A total of 183 collections are reported, and the results are presented in the annotated listing of species followed by a discussion of taxonomic, zoogeographic, and ecological considerations. Of the 110 species presumed to exist in the system, 100 were verified by records. The study revealed a somewhat more diverse fauna in the • upper portion of the system than in the central and lower regions of the system. Reelfoot Lake and its tributaries and outlet (Running Reelfoot Bayou) had the richest fauna of any part of the system.