The fishes of the Conasauga River in Tennessee

This thesis reports the results of a survey of the fishes of the Tennessee portion of the Conasauga River. This river is unique in that it is the only part of the Alabama River drainage to flow through Tennessee.

The survey was carried out between the autumn of 1965 and the spring of 1968. Collecting was done with fifteen-foot minnow seines and a sixty-foot bag seine. This thesis contains descriptions and ecological notes on the fishes taken during the survey. Because of the survey, nineteen species are added to the list of fishes occurring in Tennessee.

The evidence for and against a past connection or major stream piracy between the Alabama and Tennessee River systems is examined. It is concluded that the dissimilarity between the ichthyofauna of the two systems argues for a long history of mutual isolation except for the minor capture of headwater streams. It is pointed out that further research into this question needs to be carried out by zoologists and geologists.