70 PRELIMINARY REPORT 



Etheostoma iowje Jordan & Meek. 



Color in life bright green, much mottled with dark brown; green 

 patches on the opercle; about 11 reddish spots on the sides; a 

 series of dark cross bars present on the sides of some specimens. 

 Spinous dorsal with reddish, greenish and brown longitudinal 

 bands; caudal and pectoral fins often with yellow and green spots; 

 a black line below the eye extending to the lower jaw; general 

 color varying considerably, some specimens being almost black, 

 while others are quite light. Body elongate, not much compressed; 

 snout rather pointed, decurved, its 1 ength generally a little less 

 than the width of the eye; mouth small, horizontal, the lower jaw 

 not projecting bej-ond the upper; maxillay bones reaching beyond 

 the front of the eye. Teeth small; opercular spine well developed. 

 Head contained 3 4-5 to 4 times in the length. Depth 4 to 5|. Eye 

 4 to 5 in the head. Dorsal fin IX to X-10 or 11. Anal II, G to 8. 

 Scales 5-55 to 63-11, present on the cheeks, opercles and back of 

 the neck; breast and top of the head naked. Length 2 to 3 inches. 



Very common in the state. Numerous specimens have been 

 taken from the Upper Minnesota River and tributaries (Woolman 

 & Cox, 1892); Red Lake River at Crookston (Woolman, 1892, Report 

 U. S. Fisii Comm., 1893); Upper Mississippi and tributaries (Nat. 

 Hist. Surv., 1892-5); West Okabena Lake at Worthington and Des 

 Moines River at Windom (Cox, 1894). 



Etheostoma coeriileum Storer. Blue Darter. Rainbow Darter. Soldier Fish 



The males with mau3' dark blotches on the back, these connected 

 by dark lines or spots; sides with 12 bright blue, oblicpie bars; 

 caudal fin orange, the first and last rays blue; soft dorsal orange, 

 edged with blue, a blue line at its base; spinous dorsal orange, red 

 at the base, blue at the tip; ventral fins deep blue; throat and 

 breast orange. The females were very much duller in color and 

 with very little blue or red. Body rather stout, compressed, back 

 a little elevated; head large, compressed; mouth oblique, lower 

 jaw not reaching beyond the upper, maxillary reaching the eye; a 

 row of palatine teeth present. Head contained 3f times in the 

 length. Depth 4^. Eye 4 to 4^ in the head, not as wide as the 

 length of the snout. Dorsal fin IX to XII-12 to 14. Anal II, 7 or 

 8. Scales 5-40-10; cheeks, back of the neck and breast usually 

 naked, opercles scaled. Length 2^ inches. 



Xot common in the state. The only specimens known were 

 taken from the Blue Earth River and ponds near the Minnesota 

 River at Mankato (Cox, 1891). 



