RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND LENGTHS OF KENDALL WARM SPRINGS DACE CAPTURED FROM DIFFERENT HABITATS IN A SPECIALLY DESIGNED TRAP

A trap was designed to capture endangered Kendall Warm Springs dace Rh inichthys osculus thermalis (a subspecies of speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus) without being destructive to the habitat of the fish in Kend all Warm Springs Creek, Wyoming. Four experiments were conducted to de termine differences in catch per unit effort (CPUE) and length frequen cies of fish among differing habitat types. The CPUE was highest in ch annel habitats with current, and one experiment indicated that it was particularly high at vertical interfaces with vegetation. Longer fish were captured in channel habitats away from vegetation than in vegetat ed areas. The CPUE was significantly greater during the day than at ni ght during one experiment, but no significant differences were observe d among the other three experiments. The traps were easy and inexpensi ve to construct, could be used in a variety of stream habitats, and ma y have applications in other small streams for sampling small, benthic fishes.