182 NORTHERN FISHES 



SLENDER MADTOM 



Schilbeodes insignis (LeSueur) 



The slender madtom is much more slender than the preceding species, 

 iS. mollis. It is light brown and sometimes faintly mottled, and has a 

 large, squarish spot of lighter color on the back before the dorsal fin 

 and a smaller crescentic spot behind it. The pectoral spines are serrated. 

 This species reaches a length of 3 to 4 inches. Hubbs and Raney (1944) 

 have shown that the former name of the slender madtom. Schilbeodes 

 exilis (Nelson) should be replaced by Schilbeodes insignis (LeSueur) . 



The slender madtom ranges from Iowa and southern Wisconsin south- 

 ward to Alabama, Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma. Cox (1897) re- 

 ported this species from the Blue Earth River at Mankato, Minnesota, 

 and as found in riffles under stones. However, since insignis is a south- 

 ern species it is possible that this record was due to a misidentification. 

 This species has not been found in any recent collection from Minne- 

 sota waters. Greene (1935) reported it only for southeastern Wiscon- 

 sin. 



BRINDLED MADTOM 



Schilbeodes miurus (Jordan) 



This species is very similar in shape to the preceding one, insignis. 

 The color is grayish with black specks and larger blotches; there are 

 four saddlelike blotches on the back, the last one extending to the edge 

 of the adipose fin. At a glance, viewing it from above, an observer might 

 mistake it for a muddler, or sculpin. It probably never exceeds 3 inches 

 in length. According to Forbes and Richardson (1908) , "Hay, in his 

 list of Indiana fishes, mentions its occurrence in Minnesota and North 

 Carolina." 



The brindled madtom is reported as ranging from Iowa through 

 southern Wisconsin, to Lake Erie and its tributaries in Michigan and 

 Ontario, and to the Allegheny drainage in New York, and southward 

 to Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. This 

 species was reported July 7, 1911 in the Red Cedar River at St. Ansgar, 

 Iowa just south of the Minnesota line (Surber, 1920) . It is a southern 

 species, and it is very doubtful that it occurs as far north as Minnesota. 

 It has not been found in any recent collection from Minnesota waters. 

 Greene (1935) referred to two records of this species from southern 

 Wisconsin by Cahn (1925) , but questioned their authenticity. 



