PERCIDA. 97 
Genus: E/THEOSTOMA. 
Key to Species. 
A. lLaterallinecomplete. (A few tubes rarely wanting.) 
B. Gill membranes broadly connected across the isthmus. 
Cc. Anal fin nearly as large as soft dorsal; spinous dorsal with about 13 
spines.— variatum. 
cc. Anal fin much smaller than soft dorsal; spinous dorsal with 1o or 11 
spines — zonale. 
BB. Gill membranes scarcely connected across the isthmus. 
D. Head short, the muzzle abruptly decurved, mouth somewhat inferior, 
lower jaw included.— camurun. 
DD. Head rather long and pointed, snout not decurved, mouth terminal, jaws 
subequal.— maculatum. 
AA. Lateral line more or less incomplete. 
E. Humeral region without differentiated black, scale-like process.—coeruleum. 
EE. Humeral region with distinct, black process or scale. 
F. Gill membranes scarcely connected ; lower jaw not projecting.— 
lippecanoe. 
FF. Gill membranes connected; lower jaw strongly projecting.—/flabellare. 
Etheostoma variatum Kirtland. 
Head 3% to 4 or more; depth 44 to 5%; eye 3% to4. D. XII-13 (XII 
to XIV-11 to 13); A. II, 7 to 10; scales 8-51 to 63-12. Body moderately 
elongate, not much compressed, the back somewhat arched. Head short 
and thick; snout short and blunt, decurved, parietal region broad and de- 
pressed, resembling Hadropterus in this respect; profile above eyes strongly 
decurved; mouth small, lips thick, lower jaw included; premaxillary not 
protractile; gill membranes united. Head naked except I to 3 scales on 
opercle above; breast loosely scaled. Fins all very large, pectorals reaching 
beyond tips of ventrals. General color above, dark greenish olive, becom_ 
ing barred vertically on the sides posteriorly, about four black blotches 
across the back. Females and young similarly marked, but paler. The 
following color description taken from the living specimen is typical of 
breeding males: Color, dark olive, with about 8 greenish cross-bars on 
posterior part of body; interspaces pale, each with 2 bright carmine spots; 
back crossed by 4 black bars; sides of belly bright orange; middle of belly 
pale; first dorsal dark brown at base, then a pale space, above this a wide, 
dark bar, then another pale space, bordered with bright orange; second 
dorsal and caudal flecked with carmine; anal greenish, bordered with pale 
orange; ventrals greenish black with a little orange at the margin; pectorals 
tinged with orange and green, the rays with carmine spots. Length 3% 
inches. 
This elegant darter was described by Dr. Kirtland from the 
Mahoning river in 1838, and was not taken again in the state for 
fifty years, until, in 1888, Henshall recorded it for the Little 
