20 Ray E. Ashton, Jr. and Alvin L. Braswell 



(Fig. 2). These larvae also have a broad, light tan, dorsal stripe which 

 edges the costal grooves and extends from the snout onto the dorsum of 

 the tail and across its width. The dorsal region may have a scattering of 

 small, poorly defined, dark spots. The dark lateral stripe is continuous 

 from the nostrils through the eye and labial region to the tail where it 

 widens and includes all but the tail fringes. Irregular light blotches which 

 lack melanophores are scattered throughout the costal and tail region. 

 Most of the tail fin is lightly pigmented, but its edges lack pigmentation, 

 as does the tip of the tail. The underside is white or has a faint, reticulat- 

 ed pattern. 



A larva, maintained alive for one year, measured approximately 30 mm 

 SV at capture and had a striped pattern which changed when it reached 

 45 mm SV. The lateral melanophores decreased in intensity while the 

 dorsal spots became darker and better defined. Sixty-three percent of the 

 preserved specimens (N = 33) between 45 and 72 mm SV show a similar 

 loss of striped pattern with a distinct increase in dorsal spotting. All 

 animals over 63 mm SV have an adult dorsal pattern. 



DISCUSSION 



The N. lewisi nest resembled reported stream nests of other Necturus 

 species in construction, location, and general conditions. The number of 

 eggs was greater than the 15 to 20 reported by Bishop (1943) for stream 

 nests of JV. maculosus, but within the range of 22 to 49 reported by Shoop 

 (1965) for N. m. louisianensis . 



Although Bishop (1943) and others verified females near or attending 

 nests, few adults actually have been found in this situation. Most obser- 

 vers appear only to have surmised that nests are attended by females. Our 



TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of 7 newly hatched Necturus lewisi (NCSM 19827, 

 lot). SV = snout-vent length; TL = total length; TW = tail width; HL = head 

 length; HW = head width. 



SV TL TW HL HW 



15.3 



22.8 



3.0 



3.5 



3.0 



15.5 



23.6 



3.2 



3.7 



3.0 



16.3 



23.0 



2.9 



* 



* 



15.5 



23.1 



3.0 



3.5 



3.1 



15.0 



22.2 



3.0 



3.5 



3.0 



15.9 . 



23.4 



2.0 



3.5 



3.1 



14.9 



21.8 



3.1 



3.6 



3.0 



x= 15.4 22.8 3.0 3.5 3.0 



*damaged in capture 



