CATFISH GENUS NOTURUS RAFINESQUE 155 



and to Noturus alhater. Because of these several dissimilarities, elegans 

 is tentatively associated here with trautmani as the elegans group. 



Ecology. — Noturus elegans is frequently taken with Noturus miu- 

 rus. A single specimen of Noturus stigmosus was secured in a collection 

 with elegans and miurus at Greensbiu-g, Kentucky. Noturus eleutherus 

 and presumably Noturus Jlavus have also been taken from the Green 

 River near this locality. Notu7us exUis was collected Avith elegans in 

 the Duck River system. 



A^. elegans appears to prefer moderate to swdft riffles of clear, grav- 

 elly, or rubble-bottomed streams, living in both small creeks and 

 moderate size rivers. 



Remarks. — Several other specimens are only tentatively identified 

 as Noturus elegans (map 11). They show certain structural similarities 

 to elegans but differ from the typical populations of elegans, as found 

 in the Duck and Green systems, and from Noturus trautmani suffi- 

 ciently to leave doubt of their identification. The data for these speci- 

 mens are: Alabama: UMMZ 165877 (1 specimen), Piney Cr. [Fork], 

 0.5 mi. above bridge at Anderson Plantation, sec. 12, T. 4 S., R. 4 W., 

 Limestone Co., June 9, 1941, C. M. Tarzwell. Tennessee: UMMZ 

 131386 (1 specimen), Dunn Cr., Jones Cove (at mouth of Yellow 

 Breeches Cr.), Sevier Co., June 26, 1940, Carl L. Hubbs; UMMZ 

 168262 (4 specimens), Roaring R., 2 mi. above mouth and 2 mi. E. of 

 Gainesboro, on road about 1 mi. from Hwy. 53, Jackson Co., August 

 25, 1954, R. M. Bailey. 



The Dunn Creek specimen (pi. 13, fig. 2), a male, is elongate, 51.2 

 mm. in standard length. It has a relatively long anal fin (6+11 = 17 

 rays), very little pigment in the outer three-fourths of the dorsal fin, 

 the adipose fin w ell united with the procurrent caudal fin, a relatively 

 small pectoral spine, and a short humeral process. It differs promi- 

 nently from typical elegans in having very large brownish chromato- 

 phores on the cheek below and behind the eye, and in fewer caudal 

 rays (15+7 + 9+13=44). On each side it has eleven preoperculo- 

 mandibular pores, two internasal pores, and eight soft pectoral rays. 

 There are six soft dorsal rays. The pelvic fin has nine rays on the left 

 side and eight on the right. The left pectoral spine has five recurved 

 serrae and its anterior edge is lined with moderate serrae. There are 

 34 vertebrae. 



The Piney Creek specimen (pi. 13, fig. 3) was taken in a collection 

 containing Noturus exilis. This specimen, a male, is 32 mm. in standard 

 length; its body is short and chunky. Each side has eleven preoperculo- 

 mandibular pores, eight soft pectoral rays, nine pelvic rays, and two 

 internasal pores. There are 20+7+10+17=54 caudal rays, 5+11 = 16 

 anal rays, and six soft dorsal rays; the spines are relatively short, with 

 poorly developed anterior serrae, but normal and recurved posterior 



298-943 0—69 11 



