BREEDING TUBERCLES EST FISHES — COLLETTE 



601 



of E. spectabile pulchellum (Girard) taken April 20 (USNM 165807, 

 Oklahoma, Poteau R.). At their maximum development, tubercles 

 are present along the entire length of the anal fin elements and on 

 the ventral surfaces of all the pelvic soft rays. Tubercles are also 

 developed on the dorsal surfaces of pelvic soft rays 1-3 and on the 

 anterior sm-faces of pectoral rays 6-8. There are tubercles on about 4 

 rows of ventral scales per side just anterior to the genital papilla, on 

 4-5 rows above the anal fin base, and on 8 midventral rows on the 

 caudal peduncle. A few males (CU 37436, fig. 7) have scattered small 

 tubercles on the lower caudal rays. Males of E. spectabile are much 



Figure 7. — Male of Etheostoma {Oligocephalus) spectabile showing the distribution of 

 breeding tubercles (CU 37346, Arkansas, White River, March 29, 44 mm. SL). 



darker than females, especially the pelvic, anal, dorsal, pectoral, and 

 caudal fins, and on the breast and belly. The tips of the pelvic fin 

 spine and, to a lesser extent, the pelvic and lower pectoral fin rays, have 

 slightly swollen, unpigmented tips. Winn (1958b, p. 172) reported 

 that males of E. s. spectabile were larger than females and had larger 

 anal, first dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins, but he found no tubercles. 

 In spawning, the male mounts the female after she has buried herself 

 in the gravel of the bottom of the stream bed (Winn, 1958a; 1958b, 

 fig. 4; Linder, 1958). The tuberculate pelvic fins of the male are in 

 contact with the female's back; and his belly, sides, and caudal peduncle 

 are pressed against hers. 



The residual, apparently nontuberculate group of eight species of 

 Oligocephalus (asprigene, exile, grahami, juliae, lepidum, mariae, pottsii 

 and swaini) probably are not closely related to each other. Certainly 

 they are quite diverse in general body form and pigmentation. The 

 following list of numbers and sources of collections with included 

 dates shows the relative adequacy of coverage of the species in this 

 group: asprigene, 6 collections, Nov. 21 to June 16 (CU, USNM, TU, 

 UMMZ) ; exile, 6 collections. May 14 to August 26 (UMMZ) ; grahami 



