Larval Abundance of Catostomidae in Tributaries of the Illinois and Wabash River

Catostomidae, the third largest freshwater fish family, comprises a large percentage of the biomass in the Illinois and Wabash rivers. Therefore, to monitor populations, using larval fish sampling is essential to understanding the health of the ecosystem. To determine larval catostomid abundance, we sampled tributaries using drift nets, larval pushes, and light traps. Larval fish abundance was greater in the Wabash tributary systems than the Illinois tributary systems