Depauperate Fish Faunas of Sinking Creeks near Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Sinking creeks south of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky contain reduced numbers of fish species compared to similar normal streams. Several headwater species remain and some human introductions are present. However, shiner minnows (Notropis), suckers (Catostomidae), and darters (Etheostomatini), are absent, though common in nearby normal streams. As in normal streams, species numbers increase with rising stream order, but the total fish fauna is only 13 species. Most fishes seen in the large subterranean streams in Mammoth Cave probably enter from the nearby Green River. However, the creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, could be brought into these streams from tributary sinking creeks. Northern swamp fish, Chologaster agassizii, found in Mammoth Cave are considered to be strays from the sinking creeks and Sinkhole Plain regions, because of inadequacies of the local habitat for supporting breeding populations.