FISHES 125 



opercles and throat more or less scaly: Mississippi Valley, from Ohio to 

 Iowa; southward to Alabama and Louisiana; abundant; very variable. 



21. Nothonotus Agassiz. Similar to Poecilichihys, but with the 

 ventral fins close together at the base and with the gill membranes 

 scarcely joined across the isthmus: 7 species. 



N. caniurus (Cope). Blue-breasted darter. Body stout; length 

 60 mm.; head 4; depth 4.5; color dark olive, sprinkled with crimson 

 dots; throat and breast deep blue; posterior dorsal, anal and caudal fins 

 crimson, bordered by yellow and blue; rays of dorsal fins XI-13; anal 

 II, 8; scales 7-50 to 58-8; cheeks and opercles naked; body stout; head 

 blunt: Indiana and Ohio to Tennessee, in swift waters; not common. 



Fig. 61. — Xanostoma zonalc {from Fishes of Illinois). 



N. maculatus (Kirt.). Body elongate with a large tail fin; length 60 

 mm.; head 4; depth 5.25; color black above, olive below; throat blue; 

 back and sides with crimson dots; anterior dorsal fin with a black spot; 

 tail fin with 2 crimson spots at the base; cheeks naked; opercles scaly; 

 rays of dorsal fins XII-12 or 13; anal II, 8 or 9; scales 9-56 to 63-14: 

 northern Ohio and Indiana to northern Alabama and Tennessee: rare. 



.V. cinereus (Storer). Body slender; length 100 mm.; head 3.5; 

 depth 5.5; color light yellow, with 4 dark cross bars on the back and a 

 series of about 12 dark spots along the lateral line; rays of dorsal fins 

 XI or XII- 1 1 to 13; anal II, 8; scales 8-57 to 60-9; opercles scaly; cheeks, 

 breast and nape naked: Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers; rare. 



N. riifiUneatus (Cope). Body stout; length 75 mm.; head 4; depth 

 4.5 to 5; color green, with narrow longitudinal stripes and quadrate red 

 spots on the sides; breast blue; opercles scaly; cheeks, nape and breast 

 naked; fins variegated, all bordered with scarlet; rays of dorsal fins X 

 to XII-ii to 13; anal II, 8 or 9; scales 6-45 to 48-7: upper tributaries of 

 the Tennessee, Cumberland and Green Rivers; very common. 



N.jordani (Gilbert). Similar to A^. rufilineatus; color olivaceous, 

 with 8 black cross bars on the back and 9 or 10 irregular blotches on the 

 side; nape and opercles scaly; cheeks and breast naked; shoulder with 

 an enlarged black scale: tributaries of the Coosa River, Alabama; 

 common. 



