Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1095 



1487. ETHEOSTOMA ALABAMA (Gilbert & Swaiu). 



This species or subspecies is closely allied to Etheostoma whipplii differ- 

 ing from it in having the scales constantly larger, there being usually 50 to 

 56 in the course of th'e lateral line, though occasionally 58 and even as low 

 as 43 ; the pores of the lateral line wanting on about 12 scales ; the num- 

 ber of rows of scales between the lateral line and the spinous dorsal is 7 

 or 8, occasionally fewer. Gill membranes moderately united ; humeral 

 process or scale developed, black. Not otherwise differing from Etheos- 

 toma whipplii, the form and coloration similar. The relations of this 

 species with Etheostoma artesicv are also very close, the two may prove 

 inseparable. The male of artesiw seems to have much more of blue mark- 

 ing than the male of alabamce. Black Warrior and Big Cahawba rivers, 

 Alabama ; locally abundant. 



Etheostoma whipplei alabamse, GILBERT & SWAIN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1887, 62, Black Warrior 

 River near Morris and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Coll. Gilbert & Swain.) 



1488. ETHEOSTOMA WHIPPLII (Girard). 



Head 3* ; depth 4* to 5 ; eye 4i in head. D. IX to XII-12 to 14 ; A. II, 7. 



Scales 60 to 70,* 8 or 9 series between lateral line and base of spinous dor- 

 sal ; pores 35 to 50. Body rather deep, compressed ; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle equaling length of snout and eye. Mouth terminal, oblique ; 

 maxillary reaching vertical from front of pupil, 3 in head. Premaxilla- 

 ries not protractile. Eye moderate, slightly greater than snout. Pre- 

 opercle entire; opercular spine strong. Gill membranes rather widely 

 joined across isthmus. Fins larger than in E.punctulatum', dorsals slightly 

 joined at base, the longest soft ray half length of head ; pectorals some- 

 what longer than ventrals, which equal distance from snout to preoper- 

 cular margin ; first anal spine longer and much stronger than second ; 

 caudal truncate. Scales small ; lateral line straight, ending under last rays 

 of soft dorsal, the pores wanting on 16 to 20 scales ; opercles with a few 

 large ctenoid scales ; breast and ventral region, cheeks, nape, and a strip 

 along base of spinous dorsal anteriorly naked or with embedded, cycloid 

 scales. Colors in life: Grayish, mottled with darker and with about 12 

 indistinct dusky bars, becoming more clearly marked posteriorly ; scales 

 of lighter interspaces on sides with small, round, bright, orange-red spots, 

 those near lateral line in longitudinal series of 2 to 5 ; 2 orange blotches 

 at base of caudal; a dark spot below eye and 2 behind it, 1 of these on 

 upper part of cheeks, the other fainter, on occiput. A conspicuous black 

 humeral process ; spinous dorsal dusky translucent at base, a dark bar 

 about halfway up, then a translucent bar, an orange-red bar, and a trans- 

 lucent bar tipped with dusky ; soft dorsal similarly marked, with more 

 yellowish ; anal like soft dorsal, the orange brighter, sometimes covering 

 distal half of fin, the basal dusky area fainter; caudal barred with light 



*Ina single specimen from the Washita River at Arkadelphia, Arkansas, but 48 scales are 

 present. No other of many examples has less than 60. It is this variation of ichipplii which 

 led Gilbert & Swain to regard ofotanue as a subspecies of it. The extent of such intergradatiou 

 needs examination. 



