Blackside Darter (Hadropterus maculattcs) 



Appearance. Similar in shape to the preceding species. Its ground 

 color is reddish brown. The back is speckled with black spots. The 

 sides have patches of black which are larger and fewer in the male 

 than in the female. There is a vertical black streak through the 

 eye. The belly is creamy white. The fins of the male are all dusky, 

 except for the first dorsal fin which is black with light spots along 

 the base. The tail of the female has blackish cross lines. The first 

 dorsal fin is long and low, the second short and high. This species 

 too rests with its pelvic fins supporting it. 



Size. About 70 mm. long. 



Habitat. Chiefly the larger streams of southern Michigan, most 

 commonly about holes in clay banks. It seldom frequents riffles. 



Breeding Habits. Presumably similar to those of the preceding 

 species. 



Food. Water insects in nature, but it will eat prepared fish 

 foods. 



This species, like the preceding one, is hardy even in warm, silty 

 water, and makes an interesting aquarium fish. 



Northern Rainbow Darter 

 (Poecilichtbys coertdeus) 



Appearance. More robust and more brilliant in color than the 

 other darters. Its basic color is dark olive, overlaid with bars and 

 blotches varying from smoky blue to indigo. The scales of the sides 

 each have a dark central spot. Together, these spots form longi- 

 tudinal rows, which are conspicuous in the paler females. In the 

 male the spaces between the eleven or twelve bars are orange-red 



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