Freshwater and Estuarine Fish of New York State
Table of Contents
	Table of Contents	New York Species

INTRODUCTION

Watercolor of pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) by Ellen Edmonson

The distribution of freshwater fish in New York is better documented than for any other vertebrate group. At approximately 50-year intervals, the status of this taxon within the state was examined and the results of the work published by DeKay (1842), Bean (1901), New York State Conservation Department (NYSCD; 1927-1940), Werner (1980) and Smith (1985). The watershed surveys (NYSCD 1927-1940) and Smith (1985) document extensive survey work. The distribution, relative abundance, ecological requirements and behavior, in short, the natural history, of many of the species are well known. However, certain species, particularly small, cryptic forms, need more attention. The fishes of New York include 161 freshwater or estuarine forms and 10 diadromous species. None of these is endemic, although most species are native to at least part of the state. All species have probably been described; it is unlikely that any undescribed species will be found within the state in the future, although the taxonomic status of some populations may change.

Freshwater organisms are limited by factors different from those experienced by terrestrial organisms. As aquatic organisms, freshwater fishes are constrained by the drainage in which they occur. Their range is fixed and, except for rare geological or meteorological events, they are unable to broaden that range without human intervention. Since there were no freshwater organisms 15,000 years ago in what is now New York, it is obvious that all native aquatic organisms have good dispersal capabilities. Still, dispersal rates are relatively slow and dependent upon the distribution of suitable habitat within drainages. Only the diadromous species utilize both salt- and freshwater and, at least in theory, can expand their ranges into new drainages with relative ease. Other freshwater fishes are described as either primary or secondary species. Primary species, such as minnows (Cyprinidae), catfishes (Ictaluridae) and sunfishes (Centrachidae), are intolerant of saline waters and cannot migrate through them. Secondary species, such as killifishes (Fundulidae) or trouts (Salmonidae), can tolerate low salinity for extended periods. This allows these species to move through estuaries or even salt water.

The history of drainage patterns is only one factor affecting the distribution and abundance of fishes. As is true for all organisms, fish respond to habitat type, habitat quality, and the temporal and spatial aspects of habitat availability. These factors dictate the distribution and abundance of species, and short- and long-term spatial changes in distribution and abundance. In the last 400 years, human activities—manifested in both land-use practices and water-related environmental alterations (e.g., flood control, dams, canals, channelization, and changes to riparian systems), and point-source and non-point-source pollution—have had a major impact on fish distribution and abundance in estuarine and freshwater systems in the state.

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