Iowa Fish Atlas

Native: Yes

State Rank: S3

ITIS Code: 161104

National Rank:  N5

Global Rank: G5

Modeled By: Anna Loan-Wilsey

State Range:

The bowfin is found primarily in sloughs and ponds throughout the Mississippi River (Harlan et al. 1987).  It also occurs in the southeast corner of Iowa in streams of the Lower Iowa and Lower Cedar River drainages.  The bowfin is rare in the interior streams and natural lakes of Iowa but probably occurs in the lower reaches of all the Mississippi River’s major tributaries (Harlan et al. 1987).

Habitat Affinities:  

The bowfin occurs in variety of aquatic habitats including: swamps, marshes, sloughs, oxbows, bayous, backwaters, borrow pits, ditches, streams and glacial lakes (Becker 1983; Harlan et al. 1987; Pflieger 1997; Smith 1979). In many of its habitats including ditches and glacial lakes, this species is most abundant in sections having thick beds of aquatic vegetation or other cover (Pflieger 1997, Smith 1979; Trautman 1981).  Along the Mississippi and other large rivers, bowfin are more often found in backwaters and oxbows choked with aquatic vegetation, than in the main channel (Cross and Collins 1995; Douglas 1974; Harlan, et al. 1987; Pflieger 1997).  Bowfin prefer quiet, clear water, tending to avoid areas with strong current and high turbidity (Cross and Collins 1995; Phillips et al. 1983; Robison and Buchanan 1988; Trautman 1981) yet are tolerant to silt, mud and high temperatures (Tomelleri and Eberle 1990).

Predictive Model(s):

Statewide Model: by 8-digit HU [Decision Tree Analysis n=12]

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

("FLOW" = 1 AND "TEMP_CODE" = 2 AND "DLINKR" > 5)

Mississippi River Model:

The distribution is based upon existing collection records and professional review.

("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S20')

Overall Prediction:

("FLOW" = 1 AND "TEMP_CODE" = 2 AND "DLINKR" > 5 ) OR ("pool" >= 'S08' AND "pool" <= 'S20')

Literature Cited:

Becker, G.C.  1983.  Fishes of Wisconsin.  University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1052 pp.

Cross, F.B., and J.T. Collins.  1995.  Fishes in Kansas.  University of Kansas Natural History Museum, Public Education Series No. 14, Lawrence, Kansas.   315 pp.

Douglas, N.H.  1974.  Freshwater fishes of Louisiana.  Claitor’s Publishing Division, Sponsored by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  443 pp.

Harlan, J.R., E.B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew.  1987.  Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1997.  The fishes of Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.  372 pp.

Phillips, G.L., W.D. Schmid, and J.C. Underhill.  1982.  Fishes of the Minnesota region.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  248 pp.

Robison, H.W., and T.M. Buchanan. 1988.  Fishes of Arkansas.  University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas.  536 pp.

Smith, P.W.  1979.  The fishes of Illinois.  University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois.  314 pp.

Tomelleri, J.R., and M.E. Eberle.  1990.  Fishes of the Central United States.  University  Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.  226 pp.

Trautman, M.B.  1981.  The fishes of Ohio.  Revised Edition.  Ohio State University Press in collaboration with the Ohio Sea Grant Program Center for Lake Erie Area Research,  Columbus, Ohio.  782 pp.

Data Sources:

Barnickol, P.G., and W.C. Starrett.  1951.  Commercial and sport fishes of the

Mississippi River between Caruthersville, Missouri, and Dubuque, Iowa.  Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 25(Article 5):267-347.

Cleary, R.E.  1956.  Summary of the cooperative exploratory fishing operations in the

Wisconsin-Illinois-Iowa sections of the Mississippi River- 1956.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Cleary, R.E.  1958.  Summary of 1958 electro-fishing surveys in pools 9 through 19-

Mississippi River.  Project F-53-R.   Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Cleary, R.E,. and  J. Hlavacek.  1957.  Summary of 1957 UMRCC exploratory fishing in

pools 8 to13.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Coker, R.E.  1929.  Keokuk dam and the fisheries of the upper Mississippi River. 

Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries 45:87-140.

DeCook, R., and Cleary, R.E.  1960.  Fishing gear evaluation Mississippi River - 1960.

Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Dowell, V.  1981.  Collections in Cedar River Basin, 1956-1981.  University of Northern

Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Fairport Fish Management and Hatchery.  2003.  Field notes and unpublished reports.

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Fairport, Iowa.

Gelwicks, G., J. Heitke, and G. Simmons.  2002.  Contemporary fish survey. Iowa

Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Gritters, S.A.  1997.  Evaluation of water quality, fish and macroinvertebrates in Rock

Creek.  Fish Management Investigations 1997 Annual Report.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Guttenberg Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Guttenberg, Iowa.

Iowa Conservation Commission and Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  2002. 

Miscellaneous field notes from fish surveys, 1942, 1961, 1964, 1991.  Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Iowa State University Museum.  1985.  Collection of fishes catalog, 1878-1985.   Iowa

State University, Ames, Iowa.

Kline, D., J. Golden, and M. Wade.  1975.  Mississippi River fishery classification

survey.  Project 75-III-C-116.  Job Completion Reports.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Lake Darling Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Southeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Brighton, Iowa.  

Lake Darling Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes of data collected for the EPA. 

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Brighton, Iowa.     

Lake MacBride Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports. 

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Solon, Iowa.

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program.  2002.   Pool 13 database, 1990-2001.  Upper

Midwest Environmental Science Center, Bellevue, Iowa.

Manchester Fish Management.  2002.  Field notes and unpublished reports.  Northeast

Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Manchester, Iowa.

Meek, S.E.  1892.  Report upon the fishes of Iowa, based upon observations and

collections mad during 1889, 1890, 1891.  Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission. 10(1890):217-248.

Menzel, B.W.  1984.  Field notes: Iowa-Cedar.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Molamphy, T.J.  1961.  Summary of 1961 electro-fishing surveys of Iowa waters of

Mississippi River.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Molamphy, T.J., and R.E. Cleary.  1959.  Administrative summary electro-fishing survey

of Iowa waters of Mississippi River - May, 1959.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Molamphy, T.J., and R.E. Cleary.  1960.  Administrative summary electro-fishing survey

of Iowa waters of Mississippi River - 1960.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Molamphy, T.J., and R.E. Cleary.  1960.  Administrative summary of the 1960 trap-net

survey of Iowa waters of Mississippi River.  Job Description Investigations Projects.  Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa.

Mount Mercy College Museum.  2002.  Vertebrate collection database report.  Mount

Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Museum of Zoology.  2002.  Division of Fishes collection database.  University of

Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/. (May 2002)

Nord, R.C.  1967.  A compendium of fishery information on the Upper Mississippi River.

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois. 238 pp. 

Rathbun Fish Management and Hatchery.  2003.  Field notes and unpublished reports.

Southeast Management District, Fisheries Bureau, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Moravia, Iowa.

UMRCC.  1953.  Revised species list- northern section of the river.  Pages 19-32 in

Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Meeting, Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois.

Wenke, T.L.  1965.  Some ecological relationships of mayflies, caddisflies, and fish in

the Mississippi River near Keokuk, Iowa.  Ph.D. dissertation.  Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Wilton, T., K. Krier, and J. Mootz.  2003.  Stream Biological Assessment Database.

Environmental Services Division, Water Quality Bureau, TMDL and Water Quality Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa.

Additional References:

Berry, F.H.  1955.  Food of the mudfish, Amia calva, in Lake Newman, Florida, in relation to its management.  Q.L. Florida Academy of Science 18(1):69-75.

Cahn, A.R.  1927.  An ecological study of southern Wisconsin fishes.  Illinois Biological Monographs, Urbana, Illinois 11(1):1-151.

Clay, W.M.  1975.  The fishes of Kentucky.  Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, Kentucky.  416 pp.

Cross, F.B.  1967.  Handbook of fishes of Kansas.  University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Miscellaneous Publication  No. 45, Lawrence, Kansas.  357 pp.

Eddy, S., and J.C. Underhill.  1974.  Northern fishes; with special reference to the upper Mississippi Valley.  University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  414 pp.

Etnier, D.A., and W.E. Starnes.  1993.  The fishes of Tennessee.  University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee.  681 pp.

Holland, H.T.  1964.  Ecology of the bowfin, Amia calva (Linnaeus), in southeastern Missouri.  Master’s thesis.  University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  89 pp.

Horn, M.H., and C.D. Riggs.  1973.  Effects of temperature and light on the rate of air breathing of the bowfin, Amia calva.  Copeia 1973:653-657.

Kelly, G., editor.  1986.  Animal habitat relations handbook.  Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Jefferson City, Missouri.  293 pp.

Lee, D.S., C.R. Gilbert, C.H. Hocutt, R.E. Jenkins, D.E. McAllister, and J.R. Stauffer, Jr.  1980.  Atlas of North American freshwater fishes.  North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina.  867 pp.

Page, L.M., and B.M. Burr.  1991.  A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico.  Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.

Pflieger, W.L.  1971.  A distributional study of Missouri fishes.  University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History  20(3):225-570.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989a.  Aquatic community classification system for Missouri.  Missouri Department of Conservation.  Jefferson City, Missouri.  Aquatic Series No. 19. 70 pp. plus Supplement.

Pflieger, W.L.  1989b.  The stream resources of Missouri.  D-J Project - F-1-R-28.  Study S-20.  Missouri Department of Conservation, Columbia, Missouri.  

Reighard, J.  1940.  The natural history of Amia calva (Linnaeus).   Mark Anniversary.  4:57-108.

Reynolds, W.W., M.E. Casterlin, and S.T. Millington.  1978.  Circadian rhythm of preferred temperature in the bowfin, Amia calva, a primitive Holostean fish.  Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology : A-Comparative Physiology 60(1):107-109.

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott.  1991.  Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada.  American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20, Bethesda, Maryland. 183 pp.

Scott, W.B., and E. J. Crossman.  1973.  Freshwater fishes of Canada.  Fisheries Research Board of Canada Bulletin No. 184, Ottawa, Canada.  966 pp.

Sheehan, R.J., W.M. Lewis, and  L.R. Bodensteiner.  1990.  Winter habitat requirements and overwintering of riverine fishes.  Southern Illinois Fisheries Research Laboratory, Carbondale, Illinois.  D-J Project F-79-R, Study 101.  234 pp.

Thom, R.H., and J.H. Wilson.  1980.  The natural divisions of Missouri.  Transactions of the Missouri Academy of Science  14:9-24.

Tibbs, J.E.  1995.  Habitat use by small fishes in the lower Mississippi River related to foraging by least terns, Sterna altillarum.  Master’s thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.  184 pp.

Photo Credits:

Upper Left:       Photo courtesy of the Native Fish Conservancy. http://www.nativefish.org

Upper Right:     Photo courtesy of Konrad P. Schmidt, copyright Konrad P. Schmidt.