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Status of the St. Mary shorthead sculpin (provisionally Cottus bairdi punctulatus) in Alberta

Description

This wildlife status report looks at the St. Mary shorthead sculpin, a small freshwater sculpin species found in Alberta only in the St. Mary and Milk river systems. Because of its limited... More ≫

Description

This wildlife status report looks at the St. Mary shorthead sculpin, a small freshwater sculpin species found in Alberta only in the St. Mary and Milk river systems. Because of its limited distribution, the fish is vulnerable to extirpation through habitat alteration and loss and is therefore included on the list of species that may be at risk in Alberta. This report is part of the Alberta Wildlife Status Report series, which provides comprehensive summaries of selected wildlife species intended to be useful to those managing populations of species and their habitats, and to help identify species that may be formally designated as endangered or threatened.

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Fish species at risk in the Milk and St. Mary drainages

Description

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) initiated studies in to assess the distribution and relative abundance of species at risk throughout Alberta. Within the St. Mary and Milk river... More ≫

Description

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) initiated studies in to assess the distribution and relative abundance of species at risk throughout Alberta. Within the St. Mary and Milk river drainages, three fish species have been identified that are potentially at risk including St. Mary sculpin, western silvery minnow, and the stonecat. Although not listed as species at risk, SRD was also interested in the status of the brassy minnow and sauger. The area under study in this report included the mainstem of the Milk, North Milk, and St. Mary rivers, and Lee Creek, a major tributary to the St. Mary River. The field programs were conducted during summer and fall 2000 and 2001. Overall, 16 fish species were encountered in the Milk and St. Mary drainages during the present study. Of the five species of interest, all were encountered in the Milk River. Only the St. Mary sculpin was recorded in the St. Mary River and Lee Creek.

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