1054 Bulletin ^7, United States N'ational Museum. 



. 471. BOLEOSOMA, De Kay. 

 (Tessellated Darters.) 



Boleosoma, DeKay, New York Fauna: Fishes, 20, 1842, (texselUitiwi = olmsledi). 

 Arlina, GiRAnn, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, 64, {effulgem). 

 E>>lr('Ua, GiKARi), Pror. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 1859, 65, {rdromaculata). 

 VtiiUmitia, JoiiDAX, Dull. U. S. Nat. Mus., .\n, 89, 1878, (cainnrnm). 



Body moderately elongate, fusiform, l>ut slightly traiisluceut. Head 

 email, narrowed forward, the profile cons-ex. Month small, horizontal, 

 the lower jaw included; premaxillary protractile. Maxillaries not adnate 

 to preorhital. Vomerine teeth present. Scales large; lateral line con- 

 tinuous or interrupted behind; belly with ordinary scales. Gill mem- 

 branes broadly or narrowly connected. Dorsal spines usually 9, very 

 slender and flexible ; soft dorsal much larger than anal ; anal normally 

 with a single, short, slender spine, the first soft ray simple, but articulate ; 

 ventrals well separated ; vertebrje (B. nigrum) 15 + 22=^37. Pyloric cujca 

 3 to 6. Frontal region of skull very short and narrow ; parietal region 

 flatfish above; no supraoccipital crest. Coloration olivaceous and 

 speckled, the males with inky black in spring; no red or blue. Size 

 small. Very active little fishes ; abounding among weeds in clear streams. 

 (fiolic, arrow, dart; a(j/ia, body.) 

 Boleosoma : 



a. Lateral line complete or very nearly so; pyloric coeca 6. 



6. Pectorals very long, }^ to J^ longer than head; opercles scaly; gill membranes some- 

 what connected. 



c. Snout about as long as eye; profile steep and nearly straight; scales about 43. 



LONGIMANUS, 1444. 



cc. Snout shorter than eye; profile rounded; mouth small, inferior; scales about 37. 



PODOSTEMONE, 1445. 



bb. Pectorals moderate, about as long as head; body and fins speckled; male with the head 

 black in spring. 



d. Head more or less scaly; dorsal rays usnally IX-12 to 14; scales 44 to 55. 



NIGRUM, 1446. 



dd. Head wholly naked; dorsal rays usually VIII-10; scales 45 to 50. susan.k, 1447. 



Vaillantia * : 



aa. Lateral line ceasing near middle of body; pyloric ccoca 3; cheeks and opercles scaly; 



breast usually so; head speckled above. D. IX or X-10 or 11; A. I, 7 or I, 8; scales 



about 56. CAMURUM, 1448. 



1444. BOLEOSOM.V LONGIMANUS (Jordan). 



Head 4j ; depth 5. D. X-13 ; A. I, 8; scales 5—14-7. Body moderately 

 elongate, not much compressed ; head rather long, somewhat blunt anter- 

 iorly, convex above the eyes; profile of the snout steep and nearly straight; 

 premaxillaries protractile; lower jaw included; maxillaries reaching front 

 of orbit, about as long as eye, which is 4 in head, and about as long as 

 snout; teeth rather strong; gill membranes a little connected. Lateral 

 line complete ; scales rather large ; belly naked anteriorly, with ordinary 

 scales posteriorly. Cheeks naked; opercles with some scales ; uapo and 

 breast naked. Pectorals very long, reaching front of anal, about li times 



* Named for Leon Vaillant, ichthyologist of the museum at Paris, author of a most excellent 

 monograph of the Elheoslomidte. 



