Dr. Chris McAllister, NTCC Biology Professor and three Biology 2289 students, Xenia Esparza, Michelle Mejia, and Estefani Garcia traveled to the Idabel and Broken Bow, Oklahoma, area to continue their research on fish and amphibian parasites.
Students got their first run at capturing fish with a seine at the Mt. Fork River (photo). Dr. Mac shouldered a backpack electroshocker to collect fish when the seine didn’t do the job (photo). Noteworthy finds on this outing included what will eventually be described as new species of myxosporean in the gills of a spotted sucker, Minytrema melanops.
Other finds were gill myxosporeans in a largemouth bass and striped shiners, and a Trichodina in a green sunfish (photo). This was the last outing for the semester and all three students will enroll in Biology 2389 in Spring 2026 and continue their research efforts under the tutelage of Dr. Mac.
For more information about biology research opportunities at NTCC, contact Dr. McAllister at (903) 434-8286.
