Four NTCC biology students, Ireland Fite, Emely Chavelas, Jordan Krumrie and Stephany Fuentes, traveled with their mentor, Dr. Chris McAllister, to the Idabel and Broken Bow area of southeastern Oklahoma from Oct. 23 to 25. They studied parasites in regional fish and stayed at the Oklahoma State University Kiamichi Forestry Research Station. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation personnel David Bogner and Jay Barfield provided fish samples from several lakes in the region before the trip.
During the fieldwork, the group collected fish from creeks and rivers in Choctaw and McCurtain counties. They found myxosporean parasites in green sunfish, bluegill and plains longear sunfish. McAllister believes myxosporeans have never before been reported in plains longear sunfish. He said further study could show whether the find is a new parasite species.
The students also visited the Museum of the Red River and saw its Acrocanthosaurus atokensis dinosaur exhibit. The group plans to finish its fall field research in early November with visits to several East Texas watersheds, where little is currently known about fish myxosporeans, according to the story.