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; 

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

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

 tained 3.5 in head; eye contained 4.75 times in head, 1.4 timesin 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 iiner scales than body; opercles with larger, 

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

 soft dorsal, the rays ii,10; caudal slightly concave, with roimded 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 (Oope). 

 Snub-nosed Darter. 



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



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

 Ulocentra sitnotera, 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; 



