342 Fishes of Upper Georgia. 



NOTOTROPIS. 



^ Notropis Rafinesque, Am. Monthly Mag., 1818, 204. (Type N. 

 atherinoides Raf. = Alburnellus sp.) 



= Minn]lus Rafinesque, Ich. Oh., 45, 1820. 



= Alburnellus Girakd, Proc. Phil. Ac. Sc, 1856, 193. (Type A. dilec- 

 tus Girard.) 



= Minnilus Jordan, Man. Vert., 1876. (Type M. dinemus Raf. — Al- 

 burnellus jaculus Cope.) 



29. NOTOTROPIS LIRUS. Sp. nov. 



Body slim, somewhat compressed, of the general form of Lythrurus 

 aniens, or some small-headed Minnilus; depth 4g to 5 in length. Head 

 rather small, short, moderately deep, flattish above, 4£ in length. Mouth 

 rather large, very oblique, the lower jaw slightly projecting. Eye very 

 large, white, longer than snout, 3 in head, about reached by the maxillary. 

 Head and dorsal region profusely covered with white tubercles in the males. 

 Scales very small, scarcely higher than long, loosely imbricated, obscure 

 and difficult to count, about 45 (42 to 48) in the course of the lateral line, 

 about 25 in front of the dorsal. Dorsal fin far back, decidedly behind 

 ventrals, its height 5 to 5^ in length of the body. Fins all moderate. 



D., I, 8; A., I, 9, to I, 11, the number varying, usually I, 10. Teeth as 

 in Lythrurus diplaimius, 2, 4-4, 2, but without grinding surfaces. 



Color pale, olivaceous, transparent green above, in life, general appear- 

 ance decidedly pallid. Upper half of body with many black specks and 

 points, which run together along the sides, forming a very distinct metal- 

 lic blue band. 



This band passes across the opercles, and around the snout, about the 

 width of the eye. This is a very characteristic feature of the fish. A 

 streak of black dots running along bases of dorsal and anal; that on the 

 dorsal suggesting the peculiar dorsal spot of L. diplcemius and L. ardens, 

 but not exactly forming a spot on the fin. Tip of snout almost always 

 black; a golden lateral streak in life; belly transparent silvery. Fins 

 pale olivaceous, pale red in most male specimens (in July), probably 

 brighter in spring. 



Length 2£ inches. $ with spawn July 10th. 



This small species is one of the most characteristic fishes 

 of the Etowah basin. It abounds in still deep waters, and 

 in the clear mill-ponds. No species closely related to it 

 seems to have been described. Its nearest relatives are prob- 

 ably Lythrurus ardens and JSTotolropis malulinus. The want 

 of grinding surfaces to the teeth will separate it from the 

 genus Lythrurus. 



