SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



261 



snout; mouth small, lower jaw slightly included; opercular spine strong; opercles scaly, 

 space before dorsal fin more or less scaly, cheeks and breast naked; scales in lateral series 44 

 to 46, in transverse series 5 + 9; vertical fins rather high, spinous dorsal lower than soft dorsal 

 and about .5 head, dorsal rays ix+12; anal rays i,7 to i,9; caudal fin truncate or slightly 

 concave; pectorals as long as head. Color: pale greenish; back tessellated with brown; sides 

 with brown blotches; head speckled, a black stripe before eye and often one below eye; fins 

 with dark bars, sometimes nearly absent; males in spring anteriorly, and often entirely, black. 

 [nigrum, black.) 



Fig. 114. Johnny Darter. Boleosoma nigrum. 



The johnny darter is a widely distributed and well known species, and is 

 often the most abundant darter in the streams where it exists; it lives on sandy 

 or gravelly bottom among submerged plants. The male in spring assumes an 

 intense bluish-black color which often covers the entire body and fins. Although 

 it may occur in some of the North Carolina streams west of the mountains, it is 

 , as yet recorded only from the upper waters of the Cape Fear, Yadkin, and 

 Catawba, where Jordan found it to be more or less common. Length, 2 to 3 

 inches. 



225. BOLEOSOMA EFFULGENS (Girard). 



Effulgent Darter. 



Arlina ejfulgens Girard, Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 1859, 64; tributaries of 



Potomac River, D. C. 

 Boleosoma effulgens, Cope, 18706, 450; Deep River, Guilford Co., N. C. 

 Etheoaioma nigrum effulgens, Jordan, 1889&, 126; Tar River at Rocky Mount. 

 Boleosoma nigrum effulgens, Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 1058; Maryland to North Carolina. 



Diagnosis. — Body very long, the depth contained more than 6 times in length; head 

 contained 4.2 times in length, snout strongly decurved; eye large, more than .25 head; opercu- 

 lar spine rudimentary; opercles scaly, nape and breast naked, cheeks usually naked; scales 

 in lateral series 40 to 42, in crosswise series 5 + 6; fins well developed; dorsal very high, especi- 

 ally in male, the rays ix,13; anal rays i,9; caudal fin well rounded; pectorals and ventrals 

 extending to or beyond anal origin. Color: lustrous green, with 7 dark cross blotches on 

 back, and 8 faint bars on side; a dark spot at base of caudal; dorsal blackish, with white 

 spots on rays; caudal white spotted, {effulgens, brilliant.) 



Found coastwise from North Carolina northward as far as Washington, D. C. 

 Jordan records the species as common in Tar River at Rocky Mount, and Cope 

 had specimens from Deep River, a tributary of the Cape Fear in Guilford County. 

 Length, 2.5 inches. 



