220 NORTHERN FISHES 



BLUNTNOSE DARTER 



Boleosoma chlorosomum (Hay) 



This darter resembles the Johnny darter, but is completely scaled 

 and much smaller. The head is much more blunt. The dorsal fin usual- 

 ly has 9 (8-10) spines and 10 (10-11) soft rays. The scales number 

 6, 52-60, 6-7 (7-10) . The cheeks, opercles, and breast are fully scaled. 

 The nape has a median naked strip and the belly is covered with ordi- 

 nary scales. The lateral line is lacking posteriorly. 



This darter ranges from Indiana to southern Minnesota and south 

 to the Alabama River system of Alabama and to Texas. A few speci- 

 mens were collected by Dr. R. E. Johnson of the Minnesota Depart- 

 ment of Conservation from an overflow pool of the Root River, 

 Houston County, Minnesota, on September 10, 1945. This darter was 

 also collected by Dr. John Greenbank from a slough near the Missis- 

 sippi River at the Iowa-Minnesota line. These are the northernmost 

 records known for this species, 



GENUS Poecilichthys Agassiz 



EASTERN BANDED DARTER (Belted Darter) 

 Poecilichthys zonalis zonalis Cope 



The body of the banded darter is slender. The head is small and short, 

 the snout obtusely decurved. The scales are 6, 43-59, 12. The cheeks and 

 opercles are scaly; the breast is scaly or naked. The dorsal fin has 11 

 spines and 12 soft rays, the anal fin 2 spines and 7 soft rays. The color 

 and markings are ohvaceous, with six brown, quadrate spots on the 

 back connected by alternating spots with a broad, brown lateral band, 

 from which eight narrow, dark bluish bands nearly or completely en- 

 circle the belly. The pectoral, anal, and caudal fins are golden, speckled 

 with brown; the middle half of the first dorsal is crimson; the base of 

 the second dorsal has round red spots; there is a black spot on the 

 opercle and one at the base of the caudal. The female is duller in color 

 than the male. This darter reaches a length of 2 1/2 inches. 



The banded darter ranges from Minnesota to western New York and 

 southward to Arkansas and Alabama. It is probably rare in Minnesota. 

 It was reported from the Blue Earth River at Mankato (Cox, 1897) , 

 and there is one specimen in the University of Minnesota collections 

 from the Mississippi at Red Wing. This darter was collected in 1945 

 from the Root River by Dr. R. E. Johnson of the Minnesota Depart- 

 ment of Conservation. Greene (1935) reported it to be common in the 

 Mississippi and Lake Michigan drainages in Wisconsin but absent 

 from the Lake Superior drainage. It prefers swift streams with rock or 

 sand bottoms. 



