FAMILY PERCIDAE 221 



NORTHERN MUD DARTER 



Poecilichthys jessiae asprigenis Forbes 



The body of the northern mud darter is fusiform, rather stout, and 

 compressed. The head is moderately pointed, with a terminal mouth. 

 The scales number 6-47-7. The cheeks and opercles are more or less 

 scaly. The dorsal fin has 12 spines and 12 soft rays, the anal fin 2 spines 

 and 9 soft rays. The color and markings are brownish, with greenish 

 crossbars or blotches; the sides are covered with dark-blue, quadrate 

 crossbars; the fins are speckled with gold. This darter reaches a length 

 of 2 1/2 inches. 



The northern mud darter ranges from southern Minnesota and Wis- 

 consin to Arkansas. Greene (1935) reported it from the St. Croix and 

 Mississippi rivers and called attention to its preference for the muddy 

 sloughs and river mouths near the Mississippi and its larger tributaries. 

 It has been collected from Hay Creek near Red Wing, Minnesota. 



NORTHERN RAINBOW DARTER (Blue Darter, Soldier Fish) 

 PoeciUchthys caeruleus caeruleus (Storer) 



The body of the rainbow darter is stout. The head and eye are large. 

 The mouth is moderate; the lower jaw is the shorter; the maxillary 

 reaches to the front of the orbit. The scales number 5-45-8. The cheeks, 

 neck, and breast are usually naked; the opercles are scaly. The dorsal 

 fin has 10 spines and 12 soft rays, the anal fin 2 spines and 7 soft rays. 

 The color and markings of the male in the spawning season are oliva- 

 ceous, blotched above with darker olive; the sides have about twelve 

 oblique bars of indigo blue running downward and backward, with the 

 interspaces a bright orange; the cheeks are blue; the breast is orange; 

 the fins are chiefly orange and bright blue. The females are much duller 

 in color. This species reaches a length of 2 1/2 inches. 



The northern rainbow darter ranges from southern Minnesota and 

 Wisconsin to southern Ontario and southward to Alabama and Arkan- 

 sas. Wherever found this species shows a preference for clear spring 

 brooks. In Minnesota it was observed in Shady and Bear creeks of the 

 Root River system in September 1918. It was reported by Cox (1897) 

 from the Blue Earth River and from ponds, presumably spring-fed 

 quarry ponds, near the Minnesota River around Mankato. There are 

 specimens in the University of Minnesota collections from the Missis- 

 sippi near Red Wing (1938) and from Houston County (1945). 

 Greene (1935) reported it from numerous localities in Wisconsin. 



IOWA DARTER 



Poecilichthys exilis (Girard) 



The Iowa darter (Figure 40B) is similar to P. jessiae in size and form, 

 but has reverse coloration. Its body is more slender than that of most 



