LARVAL FISH COMMUNITY IN THE MISSOURI-RIVER BELOW GARRISON-DAM, NORTH-DAKOTA

The abundance and species composition of larval fishes in the Missouri River below Garrison Dam, North Dakota, was assessed during May-Augus t of 1993 and 1994. Only Catostomus spp., Ictiobus spp., Moxostoma spp ., Stizostedion spp., Osmerus mordax, and Perca flavescens were collec ted during the course of the study. Larval fish species diversity and abundance were lower than expected given the number of adult fish spec ies found in the tailwaters and numbers of larval fishes collected in other studies on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The low abundanc e and diversity likely were due to the hypolimnetic discharge of cold water from Lake Sakakawea. Larval fish species also appeared later in the season than expected.