An updated survey of freshwater fishes within Letchworth State Park and surrounding areas of the Genesee River

<p>The goal of this study was to gather information about freshwater fishes in Letchworth State Park (42.615275°N, -77.992825°W), a portion of New York State-owned land located in the Genesee River watershed that lacks known data about its fish diversity. The fish collection took place between 2017 and 2019 in the Genesse River upstream and downstream of the falls using gill, hoop, and seine netting and electrofishing. This was the first attempt at a comprehensive survey of this portion of the river, which allowed for a baseline to be established regarding fish biodiversity in the region. The updated total number of species found in this portion of the Genesee River was 25, 22 of which were newly identified downstream of the falls, in Letchworth State Park. We encourage further collection and continuation of this survey with consistent sampling techniques to promote ongoing field surveys and fish collection that inform freshwater fish diversity in stream ecosystems across the globe.</p>