Fish species composition in the Central Platte River, Nebraska

Fish populations in the central Platte River, Nebraska, were sampled from 1987-1995 as part of a larger study. The fish community is dominated by cyprinid taxa, with centrarchids, catostomids, and ictalurids also common. Comparisons between the species composition from the present study and three other studies conducted over the last 55+ years indicates that fish species composition in the central Platte River has not changed appreciably over time. A diverse fish assemblage composed of 58 species has been found over four studies, with large overlaps in species found between studies. There is considerable similarity between the fish assemblage collected in the central Platte River in 1939-1941 and that collected during 1987-1995, using the Coefficient of Community index. Similarities between these two studies that are over 50 years apart were 70% for presence/absence of all fish species, and 89% for cyprinid species. A comparison of the present study to a recent study on the lower Platte River indicates that the species composition in the central Platte River is similar in many respects to that of the lower Platte River, although the fish community in the central Platte River may be somewhat more diverse. These data indicate a high degree of resilience in the fish populations of the central Platte River over time, despite a variety of disturbances.