258 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



Diagnosis. — Back elevated, making an angle at nape; depth contained 5.5 times in 

 length; head long, slender, its length contained 3.75 in total length; mouth long, narrow; 

 maxillary extending as far as anterior margin of eye; lower jaw included; jaw teeth in broad 

 band, the outer anterior teeth enlarged; snout long and sharp, equal to maxillary and con- 

 tained 3.5 in head; eye contained 4.75 times in head, 1.4 times in snout; interorbital space 4 

 eye; gill-membranes broadly connected; scales in lateral series about 82, in transverse series 

 10-1-18; cheeks, breast, and nape covered with finer scales than body; opercles with larger, 

 spiny scales; dorsal rays xiv -I- 13, the longest spine .33 head; anal fin shorter and higher than 

 soft dorsal, the rays ii,10; caudal slightly concave, with rounded lobes; pectorals about .8 

 length of head; ventrals about .6 length of head. Color of North Carolina specimens: body 

 yellowish green, with about 10 dark green cross bars and same number of blotches along lateral 

 line; a black spot on shoulder; a black line through eye; side and top of head dusky; a dusky 

 blotch at base of tail, a round black spot behind it; dorsal yellowish green at base, then a 

 dusky band, then an orange band, and a dusky edge; second dorsal and caudal pale green, 

 spotted, the rays brown; anal dusky, mottled; pectorals dull yellow, mottled; ventrals 

 dusky, {squamatus, scaly.) 



Known only from the upper part of the Tennessee basin, where it is rare. 

 The only North Carolina specimens, 4 in number, were recorded by Jordan from 

 the French Broad at Hot Springs; the largest of these was 4.6 inches long, which 

 is about the maximum attained by this species. 



Genus ULOCENTRA Jordan. Darters. 



In this genus the body is moderately elongate and but slightly compressed; 

 head short, thick, with but slightly convex parietal region; mouth small, horizon- 

 tal, with small vomerine teeth, premaxillaries protractile, occasionally with a 

 bridle extending to the forehead; maxillary not closely joined to preorbital; gill- 

 membranes narrowly or broadly joined; median line of belly without enlarged 

 plate-like scales; lateral line present; 9 to 13 spines in first dorsal; second dorsal 

 larger than anal; anal with 2 prominent spines, the first the longer. Of the half- 

 dozen species known, only one is a member of the local fauna. {Ulocentra, 

 complete-spined . ) 



221. ULOCENTRA SIMOTERA (Cope). 

 Snub-nosed Darter. 



Hyostoma simolerum Cope, Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1868 (1869), 215; Holston 



River and tributaries. Cope, 18706, 494; French Broad River, N. C. 

 Ulocentra simotera, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1051, pi. clxx, fig. 448. 



Diagnosis. — Form comparatively short, the depth .20 to .25 total length; head about 

 equal to depth; profile from dorsal base to mouth strongly curved; snout short and blunt; 

 maxillary reaching as far as anterior edge of pupil; eye rather longer than snout, .25 length of 

 head; scales in lateral series about 50, in transverse series 6 + 11; opercles, cheeks, and breast 

 more or less scaly; dorsal rays x + 9 to 11, both fins higher than head is long; anal small, 

 beginning under end of first dorsal, the rays ii,7; caudal very slightly concave; pectorals 

 longer than head; ventrals as long as head. Color: pale green on back, yellow or orange on 

 belly; some scales on back with reddish centers, surrounded by yellow scales; sides with quad- 

 rate dark green blotches; head with dark markings; a dark stripe extending forward from 

 eye, another downward from eye; first dorsal fin with a pale base, then a black bar, then 

 another pale zone, the edge brownish, the membranes with an orange spot on pale part; second 

 dorsal fin with pale yellow rays, a black spot at base of each, membranes brown-spotted; 



