BREEDING TUBERCLES IN FISHES — COLLETTE 585 



Six collections containing tuberculate males of E. chlorosomum 

 have been examined. They were taken between March 8 (TNHC 

 2374, Texas, San Jacinto Co.) and AprH 17 (USNM 166172, Texas, 

 Lake Belmont) . The best developed male (UMMZ 161309, Louisiana, 

 Lincoln Par., April 7, 39 mm.) has thin, elongated tubercles dis- 

 tributed along the entire length of the ventral surface of the first 

 two pelvic rays, the proximal three-fourths of rays 3 and 4, and the 

 proximal quarter of ray 5. Their presence on the proximal part of 

 the pelvic fin is very unusual; most darters have them best developed 

 distally. A few poorly developed tubercles are scattered on the 

 middle portions of anal rays 2-5 of this specunen. The other tuber- 

 culate males show similar patterns, although the tuberculate areas 

 are not as extensive. None of the females are tuberculate. The 

 genital papilla of the female is a swollen rugose pad, differing from 

 that in the nigrum gi-oup (low and fiowerlike) and that in the stig- 

 maeum group (an elongate tube). Males of E. chlorosomum are 

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

 fins, and the venter, but there is no approach to the black fins present 

 in males of the nigrum group. Winn (1958b, p. 188) reported Clark 

 Hubbs's observation that E. chlorosomum spawns on plants or debris. 



Thirteen coUections of E. jessiae (UMAIZ, VPI, CU, USNM) con- 

 taining tuberculate males were exammed. These collections were 

 taken from March 13 (UMMZ 103591, Tennessee, Campbell Co.) to 

 April 10 (UMMZ 103709, 103687, 103676, Tennessee, Anderson Co.). 

 Most males have tubercles only on the ventral scale rows, but at 

 maximum development in March (UMMZ 103567, 114852, 103591) 

 poorly developed tubercles are present on the ventral surface of pelvic 

 rays 3 and 4, and a few are also scattered on the anal fin rays. At 

 maximum development, ventral scale tubercles begin shortly behind 

 the pelvic fin origin on one row of scales and extend onto 4-7 rows per 

 side just anterior to the genital papilla, 2-3 rows above each side of the 

 anal fin base, and a total of 3-4 midventral caudal peduncle scale rows. 

 Males have darker fins and venters than females and have enlarged 

 lateral blotches. The genital papillae of breeding females are thin, 

 elongate tubes totally unlike the genital papillae of breeding females 

 of the nigrum group. There is Uttle or no trace of the fleshy tips that 

 develop on the pectoral and pelvic fin rays in the nigrum group. In 

 life, breeding males (USNM 187735, Tennessee, Little Pigeon R., 

 April 1) have 8-10 narrow blue bars on the body, the anal fin is blue 

 with a white submarginal band, the dorsals are blue basally with a 

 submarginal red band on the first dorsal and a submarginal white band 

 on the second dorsal. The blue coloration also extends out onto the 

 caudal fin. 



