Occurrence of Two Non-indigenous Catostomid Fishes in the New River, Virginia.

Two catostomid fishes, Carpiodes cyprinus (Quillback) and Moxostoma collapsum (Notchlip Redhorse), were recently discovered in the New River watershed (Ohio River basin) in Virginia. The New River fish fauna is naturally depauperate relative to surrounding watersheds, and it has been altered substantially due to non-indigenous species introductions. Notchlip Redhorse and Quillback are established in Claytor Lake and are dispersing into novel reaches of the mainstem New River. We suspect that these species became established following bait-bucket introductions or incidentally during game-fish stockings. Public education, policy changes, and stricter hatchery procedures are needed to minimize such occurrences of non-indigenous species introductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]