Riverine Fishes of Florida

Abstract

Ichthyological investigations in Florida have paralleled those of the United States in general. The last 25 years of the 19th century was a period of intense interest in the fishes of Florida and elsewhere, and was followed by a hiatus in fish investigations that lasted until the end of World War II, with the important exception of the work of Henry W. Fowler (1945). After 1945, studies of Florida fish and fisheries expanded quickly and have continued at a rapid pace. Studies of river ecology, prominent only in the past decade, have matured into an active discipline with an abundant literature. Although space does not permit an exhaustive review of the literature pertinent to riverine fishes of Florida, some major references may be mentioned. In addition to published works, a majority of the postwar material on fishes and river ecology is contained in reports of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, Florida Department of Natural Resources, Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, and state Water Management Districts. Significant references include Bailey et al. (1954), whose analysis of Escambia River fish assemblages represents one of the first efforts to consider a Florida river as a whole. Mettee (1970) discussed distribution of fishes in the Choctawhatchee River system, and Yerger (1977) summarized knowledge of Apalachicola River fishes. Swift et al. (1977) defined distribution of Ochlockonee River fishes and discussed zoogeography of the Florida region. McLane (1955) and Tagatz (1968) discussed fishes of the St. Johns River.