132 



FISHES OF ILLINOIS 



Fig. 29 



NOTROPIS ANOGENUS Forbes 



Forbes, 1885, Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., II. 2, 13S. 

 M. V., 55; J.& E., I, 259; L., 16. 



A small, weak species, very similar in general appearance to N. 

 heterodon, but with complete lateral line, and always clearly distinguish- 

 able from that species by its black peritoneum and its very small and 

 extremely oblique mouth, the maxillary standing at an angle of no 

 more than 40° with the vertical. Length If inches; body moderately 

 elongate, considerably compressed, the depth 4.3 to 4.5 in length; 

 caudal peduncle rather slender and longer than head. Color dark 

 above, yellowish beneath; sides silvery with a distinct plumbeous 

 to blackish lateral band, extending from a Small dark spot at base 

 of caudal along sides and through eye to end of snout, tipping the 

 chin; scales of back quite thickly specked with black over most 

 of their surfaces; the third row above lateral line only narrowly 

 edged with dusky ; the two rows covered by the lateral band rather 

 densely dusted with fine specks among which are occasional much larger 

 ones ; fins faintly dusky. Head small, 4.3 to 4 . 5 in length, bluntly conic, 

 its width If in its length ; interorbital space 2.6 to 2.9; eye 3.1 to 3.3; 

 nose short and blunt, 4.5 to 4.8 in head; mouth very small, terminal, 

 extremely oblique, the tip of the upper lip at about same level as upper 

 margin of pupil; maxillary 4.5 to 5.1 in head, scarcely twice diameter 

 of pupil, not reaching back of anterior nostril; isthmus less than pupil. 

 Teeth 4-4, with well developed grinding surfaces, sometimes plain, 

 sometimes crenate; teeth more or less hooked at tip; intestine 1.2 to 1.3 

 times length of head and body; peritoneum black. Dorsal fin with 8 

 rays; about one scale behind ventrals, a little nearer base of caudal than 

 muzzle; longest dorsal ray somewhat more than head; anal rays 7 ; pecto- 

 rals less than \ to ventrals; ventrals reaching vent. Scales 5 or 6, 34 to 

 3 7, 3 or 4; rows before dorsal 13 or 14. 



This well-marked species was described by the senior author in 

 •1885 from 24 specimens collected in the upper Fox River at Mc- 

 Henry, 111. It has since been taken in the state but once. A 

 well-marked specimen was found in Fourth Lake in 1892. Dr. 

 Meek found the species in Cayuga Lake, N. Y., in 1888, and has 

 recently obtained a number of excellent specimens from northern 



