New Etheostoma Subgenus 
151 
Additional Characters . — Body slender to moderately stout; snout 
moderately to slightly decurved; mouth terminal, slightly oblique; 
premaxillary frenum present, generally broad and well developed. Head 
moderately large; eye breaking dorsal contour of head in lateral view; 
caudal fin slightly rounded; branchiostegal membranes separate to 
narrowly joined, rays 6-6; preopercle entire; pectoral fin length usually 
shorter than head length. Lateral line complete or incomplete, arching 
gently anteriad; lateral line scales 40-80; vertebrae 32-39, usually 34-37. 
Transverse scale rows 12-24; caudal peduncle scales 20-29. Dorsal fin 
spines VI-XII, usually IX-XI; dorsal fin soft rays 10-15, usually 11-14; 
anal spines II, except in E. trisella which usually has I anal spine; anal fin 
soft rays 6-10, usually 7-9; branched caudal fin rays 12-17; pectoral fin 
rays 9-14. Supratemporal canal complete or interrupted; lateral canal 
complete with 5 pores; single coronal pore; postorbital, interorbital, 
posterior nasal and anterior nasal pores present; preoperculomandibular 
canal complete with 10 pores; infraorbital canal complete with 7 or 8 
pores. Nape scaly with exposed or embedded ctenoid scales. Cheeks and 
opercles naked or scaly; prepectoral region generally naked or with a few 
scales; anterior portion of belly naked to fully scaly; breast naked or with 
a few embedded scales. Nuptial tubercles present in males only; tubercles 
on scales around base of anal fin, anal spines and rays and ventral sur- 
faces of pelvic rays. Breeding tubercles absent in females. Genital papilla 
sexually dimorphic. 
Body generally olivaceous to grayish brown. Well developed hu- 
meral spot present in all species except E. trisella where it may be in- 
distinct. Bold, dark subocular bar present. Lateral blotches variable; dis- 
continuous or fused into irregular lateral band in E. cragini. Dorsal sad- 
dles 3-9, conspicuous, and dark. Sexual dichromatism pronounced in all 
species. Well developed orange to red-orange in breeding males located 
on the venter from pelvic fins posteriad to caudal fin. Spinous dorsal fin 
with black marginal band (may be absent in some individuals), usually 
narrow anteriorly, increasing in width posteriorly. Submarginal orange 
to red-orange band below the dark marginal band and followed by blue- 
green to blue-black basal band of equal width. All species lack bright 
breeding colors in soft dorsal fin. Soft dorsal fin with six to eight in- 
distinct horizontal bands formed by dark spots of pigment on rays, and 
darker pigment on fin membranes giving a barred appearance to fins. 
Caudal fin with spots confined to rays, arranged in four to six irregular 
vertical rows. Spots on pectoral and pelvic fins aligned in irregular ver- 
tical rows. Pelvic fins typically dusky to gray-black; pigment usually 
restricted to rays or proximal membranes of fin. Anal fin with scattered 
spots on rays and membranes. Gular and branchiostegal regions orange. 
Females with generally olivaceous or brownish-gray bodies. Bright 
orange coloration not observed in females. Spinous dorsal fins, while oc- 
casionally tinged with orange or yellow pigment, never brightly banded 
as in males. Soft dorsal fin without bright colors; some irregular spotting 
of rays occurs. 
