Comparisons of Fish Communities in Ledbetter Creek and Ledbetter Embayment of Kentucky Lake, Kentucky, USA

To determine if fish density, biomass, species richness, and species diversity were greater in ecotone than the stream and littoral zones, I sampled fish monthly in the Ledbetter Creek through Ledbetter Creek Embayment in Kentucky Lake, Kentucky, from April to October 1996 by using throw traps. During the first four months (daytime only) fish density did not vary significantly among zones or among months. However, there were significant differences among zones during the last three months and the stream zone had significantly higher mean fish density than both the littoral zone and the ecotone. Fish biomass also differed significantly among zones during the last three months. The stream zone had the highest mean fish biomass among zones, significantly higher than the ecotone, but not different than the littoral zone. There were no statistically significant differences among zones during the first four months, but mean fish biomass in the stream zone was about eight times higher than the ecotone, The stream zone had the highest fish species richness among zones. Differences were significant among zones during the last three months, and the stream zone (0.98 $\pm$ 0.04) had significantly greater mean fish species richness than the ecotone (0.45 $\pm$ 0.01), but not significantly than the littoral zone (0.56 $\pm$ 0.17). Fish species richness differed significantly among months during the first four months, Monthly species diversities ranged from 0.62 to 1.96 in the stream zone, 0 to a.57 in the ecotone, and 0 to 2.60 in the littoral zone. Combined species diversities in the stream, the ecotone , and the littoral zones were 2.72, 3.58, and 3.10, respectively, There were five families of fishes captured frequently enough for their individual numbers to comprise at least 8 % of the total. Family rankings in the stream zone were opposite of the littoral zone. Percidae was the most abundant family and Clupeidae was absent in the stream zone, whereas Percidae was uncommon and Clupeidae was the most abundant family in the littoral zone. Atherinidae was dominant in the ecotone. Five of the most abundant species comprised 65 % of the total number. The guardian darter occurred only in the stream zone, and it was consistently found in riffles. Longear sunfish and central stoneroller also had significant differences of mean fish densities among zones, and they were found mostly in the stream zone. Threadfin shad and bullhead minnow were almost exclusively caught in the littoral zone. I finally concluded that the ecotone between the stream and the littoral zone in this small-scale freshwater aquatic ecosystem was not as productive as the ones in other ecosystems.