202 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 82 



N.jlavipinnis is the only Rabida with the combination : a light tipped 

 dorsal fin, a black blotch extending to the margin of the adipose 

 fin, 54 or more caudal rays, and the adipose and caudal fins distinctly 

 connected. Unlike others of the miurus group, it lacks black on the 

 dorsal fin, and the basicaudal bar is distinct but not prominent; like 

 Jlavater, but unlike miurus, the infraorbital and supraorbital canals 

 do not unite anteriorly (2 internasal pores) . 



Description. — The only descriptive information on this species was 

 given by Jordan (1890, p. 143), who said "Not rare in the weeds above 

 the ford [North Fork of Holston River, north of Saltville, Virginia]. 

 The specimens are quite large and the color is rather pale. In general 

 they agree with Indiana examples." He described the stream as 

 "moderately swift, not very clear, the water warm." 



Other counts and measurements are given in tables 17 to 23 and 26. 

 Body heaviest forward, deepest at or before dorsal spine; caudal 

 peduncle tapering backward; eye large, 1.2 to 1.8 times in snout; head 

 moderately rounded above, but flattened before eyes; lower jaw in- 

 cluded, but mouth nearly sub terminal; premaxillary tooth patch with 

 acute or rounded posterior corners ; humeral process as long as or longer 

 than width of pectoral spine including anterior and posterior serrae; 

 pectoral spine long (pi. 4, fig. 14) with four to ten large recurved 

 posterior serrae and prominent anterior serrae; dorsal spine stout; 

 adipose fin with a moderate notch between it and caudal fin, but 

 distinctly connected at their base; posterior free end of adipose fin 

 sometimes extended into a flap; caudal fin rounded or pointed behind; 

 five to eight gOl rakers on the first arch. The largest specimen is 86.9 

 mm. in standard length. 



The 13 specimens all have 6 soft dorsal rays. The caudal fin has 22 to 

 26, mean 23.4 upper simple rays; 17 to 22, usually 17 branched rays 

 (with typically 7 in the upper part of the fin and 10 below) ; and 14 to 

 17, usually 15 lower simple rays. 



Due to long preservation of the specimens, little can be determined 

 about details of original pigmentation. The pale color, accentuated 

 by fading with age, leaves little pattern of prominence other than the 

 saddles. Side of body nearly uniform, except where covered by four 

 dorsal saddles, with various size chromatophores ; one saddle (ob- 

 scured in large specimens) below the dorsal fin, extends to below the 

 lateral line, forward about half the distance from the dorsal spine 

 to the head, apparently surrounding a predorsal fight spot on each 

 side, and backward to the second dorsal ray; second blotch is between 

 the adipose and dorsal fins; a black blotch at the middle of the adipose 

 fin extends to its margin; a prominent, brownish, obovate patch on the 

 end of the caudal peduncle extends narrowly onto the procurrent 



