106 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 282 



54 caudal rays, 9 or 10 pelvic rays, included lower jaw, and short anal 

 fin in combination also distinguish it from other species of the subgenus. 



Description. — Other counts and measurements are given in tables 

 17 to 26. Dorsal and ventral contours of body not noticeably tapering 

 posteriorly; head slightly depressed; eye small, 2.5 to 3.3 times in 

 snout; lower jaw included; posterior corners of premaxillary tooth band 

 slightly rounded ; branchiostegal membranes and lower surface of head 

 covered with large papillae; spines very short, rather obtuse; serrae 

 irregular, sometimes well developed on posterior edge of pectoral spine 

 (pi. 3, fig. 9) ; posterior process of clei thrum short or obscure, its free 

 length less than the diameter of the pectoral spine; adipose fin low, 

 without free posterior end, but nearly free from the caudal fin which 

 is truncate posteriorly. 



In six stained specimens there are 14 or 15, modally 14, vertebrae 

 anterior to the origin of the anal fin. This range is identical to the range 

 obtained for Noturus fianus. The pectoral radials (actinosts) are fused 

 on both sides in each specimen. Each has six hypurals and one epural. 

 The hypurals are unf used in four specimens ; hypurals 2 and 3 are fused 

 in one and 5 and 6 in another. 



There are seven to nine gill rakers on the first arch. The 47 indi- 

 viduals counted have 6 soft dorsal rays. In the caudal fin there are 



15 to 20, usually 17 to 19 upper simple rays; 15 to 17, almost constantly 



16 branched rays of which 7 are in the upper half and 9 in the lower 

 half of the fin; and 14 to 18, usually 15 to 17 lower simple rays. The 

 largest individual examined is the Mayo River specimen, 85 mm. in 

 standard length. 



Color was described from fresh material by Hubbs and Raney 

 (1944, p. 25) : "the first dorsal fin has a blackish base, but is otherwise 

 pale . . .; the caudal fin has an orange border, which is broader 

 above than below." In specimens collected August 31, 1958, the 

 overall color of the upper body surface was dark grayish brown. The 

 fight parts of the fins varied in color from light yellow to bright yellow 

 or orange as follows: pelvic and anal fins light to medium yellow; 

 adipose fin and caudal fin border medium yellowish orange; pectoral 

 and dorsal fins bright yellowish orange to orange. 



In preserved material, the pelvic fins, mental barbels, anal fiuj the 

 lower surface of the head and abdomen, the adipose fin, about two- 

 thirds of the dorsal fin, and a broad upper and lower margin and the 

 tip of the caudal fin are immaculate. The side is brownish, only slightly 

 lighter than the uniformly colored dorsal surface of the body which is 

 dark brown or a gray-black; a black blotch on the middle caudal rays 

 extends nearly to the margin of the fin ; the pectoral fin is pigmented at 

 the base and about the spine; its outer half is immaculate; the nasal 

 barbels are black; the maxillary barbels are partially pigmented. 



