CATFISH GENUS NOTURUS RAFINESQUE 93 



where it has presumably been introduced. In New York the records 

 are from Keuka Lake, Catherine Creek, tributary to Seneca Lake, 

 and a few other small tributaries in the Lake Ontario drainage, from 

 the Mohawk and Hudson River systems, and from the Delaware 

 and Susquehanna basins. In the New River, it is confined to the 

 area above the falls in West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. 

 In Georgia it occurs in the Oconee and Savannah River systems. 



In recent years specimens of Noturus insignis have been collected 

 from other drainages in the upper Ohio River system and from the 

 Tennessee system. The collections from the Tennessee system indicate 

 that insignis is well established there, where it is known from several 

 localities in the Watauga drainage in North Carolina and from the 

 North Fork of the Holston River, Virginia. I and several other 

 collectors have obtained specimens from the latter stream and found 

 it abundant, at least locally. A^. insignis has been collected from three 

 localities in the Monongahela and Youghiogheny systems in West 

 Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Although few specimens 

 have been collected, the geographic dispersal suggests that insignis 

 is established in both streams. 



The historical evidence points to the absence of insignis from the 

 upper Ohio and Tennessee systems until recently, as many earlier 

 collectors did not obtain specimens. Establishment could have been 

 by any of at least three methods, but the first seems most likely: (a) 

 Frequent references in the fishery literature indicate that madtoms 

 are often used as bait for other fishes. They are very hardy and able 

 to survive injury and extreme conditions. Dumping of a few unwanted 

 bait specimens could easily start a new population in a favorable 

 habitat, (b) Accidental dispersal when stocking game fishes. Noturus 

 gyrinus has undoubtedly been introduced into several areas by this 

 method. However, insignis is less likely to be an inhabitant of fish 

 hatcheries and it is expected that it would rarely be captured and dis- 

 tributed along with game fishes, (c) Changes in drainage pattern may 

 account for dispersal of N. insignis into the Holston drainage but they 

 do not appear to be responsible for several of the introductions else- 

 where. 



An undoubted introduction by man was into Clark Lake, Gogebic 

 County, Michigan (UMMZ 186551). 



Noturus leptacanthus, N. exilis, N.flavus, and A^. miurus have been 

 reported under the name Noturus insignis or one of its synonyms. 



Etymology. — The name insignis (Latin) means remarkable or 

 extraordinary. The probable intention was to emphasize the color and 

 the long adi])ose fin, features which were at one time considered unique. 



Nomenclature. — The recent resurrection of Noturus marginatus 

 Baird for this species and the transfer of Pimelodus insigne Richardson 



