BREEDING TUBERCLES IN FISHES — COLLETTE 599 



Tubercles were found on males of E. cragini collected from January 1 

 (UMMZ 156694, Kansas, Meade Co.) to May 7 (KU 5658, Missouri, 

 Shoal Cr.). Tubercles are best developed on two males from UMMZ 

 156694 (30 and 31 mm.), on the 50 mm. male syntype of the nominal 

 species E. pagei Meek (USNM 45566, Missouri, Neosho R., Apr. 15, 

 1893), and on a specimen collected April 5 (CU 32919, Missomn, 

 Neosho R., 32 mm.). In the latter specimen, tubercles are present 

 on most of the length of the anal spines and soft rays, on the distal 

 two-thirds of the pelvic spine, and the distal third of the first three 

 pelvic soft rays (ventral surface). No tubercles are present on the 

 dorsal surface of the pelvic rays in this specimen, but there are a 

 few tubercles on the distal tip of pelvic rays 1 and 2 in KU 7233. 

 On the CU specimen, tubercles also are present on the ventral scales 

 starting posteriorly one-third of the distance from the pelvic to the 

 anal fin origin. They extend onto about 5 rows of scales per side just 

 anterior to the genital papilla and onto 2-3 rows above each side 

 of the anal fin base. No tubercles are present elsewhere on these 

 specimens nor are they present on the females. Tubercles are absent 

 from the abundant UMMZ material of E. cragini collected in June, 

 July, and August. Moore and Cross (1950) reported tubercles on 

 the anal rays of males of E. cragini taken January 1 (UMMZ 156694). 

 They also found tubercles on the pelvic fins, the ventral scale rows 

 near the anal base, and along the belly of breeding males taken 

 February 2 in Mayes Co., Oklahoma. 



A similar tubercle distribution is present on some of the paratypes 

 of the closely related Etheostoma pallididorsum . Nine males collected 

 April 6 (KU 6158, Arkansas, Caddo R.) are tuberculate. All have 

 tubercles along both anal spines and on all the anal soft rays. Pelvic 

 fin tubercles are poorly developed on the 5 smaller specimens (29, 31, 

 33, 34, and 35 mm.), better developed on two larger specimens (35 

 mm.), and best developed on the two largest specimens (37 mm.). 

 Here they are present on the distal three-fom"ths of the pelvic spine 

 and fu"st pelvic soft ray (dorsal and ventral siu-faces), the distal 

 three-fourths of ray 2 (ventral siu-f ace) , and distal half of ray 2 (dorsal 

 surface), the distal third of ray 3, and the distal quarter of ray 4 

 (ventral sm*face only). The ventral scale tubercles are best developed 

 on a 35 mm. male where they begin halfway between the pelvic and 

 the anal fins, extend onto 4 rows of scales per side just anterior to the 

 genital papilla, 2 rows above each side of the anal fui base, and are 

 present on the ventral siu-face of the caudal peduncle. Tubercles 

 are absent in another collection of paratypes (USNM 196547) taken 

 June 28. The identical tubercle distributions in E. pallididorsum and 

 E. cragini serve as fm-ther evidence of their very close relationship. 

 In their original description, Distler and Metcalf (1962) reported 



7C9-6G7— 05— 3 



