New Etheostoma Subgenus 
153 
Etheostoma cragini prefers quiet pools of the smallest spring 
branches. It also occurs in spring-fed creeks where it is most often found 
along the shallow margins of pools and riffles in thick growths of water- 
cress, Nasturtium officinale (Ellis and Jaffa 1918; Blair 1959; Branson 
1967; Cross 1967; Pflieger 1971, 1975; Miller and Robison 1973). Moore 
and Cross (1950) collected E. cragini in small clear streams of moderate 
current over mud, gravel, and sand substrates in quiet pools in which 
aquatic vegetation flourished (Ranunculus, Potamogeton, Myriophyllum, 
Callitriche, and Radicula). 
Etheostoma pallididorsum inhabits small, spring-fed brooks, 0.6 m in 
average width and 5 cm in depth over mud, gravel and/or rubble bottoms 
(Distler and Metcalf 1962). The species typically prefers shallow (15-30 
cm) backwater pool areas with leaf-litter and small gravel-rubble bot- 
toms when found in larger streams (Robison 1974a, b; Hambrick and 
Robison 1979). 
Etheostoma boschungi inhabits clear, medium-current, second and 
third order streams ranging in width from 3 to 6 m, and ranging in depth 
from less than 15 cm to 1 .7 m (Wall and Williams 1974). Boschung (1976) 
collected this species over gravel infiltrated by silt, and over silt and mud, 
but never over clean gravel. Individuals seemed to prefer accumulations 
of detritus in areas of relatively low water velocity. 
Etheostoma trisella was hypothesized by Bailey and Richards (1963) 
to live in springs, although the holotype was collected from a small, 
sluggish pasture stream with a bottom of silt mixed with sand and gravel 
and heavily overgrown with emergent Diathera. Etnier (1970) reported 
that E. trisella appears to inhabit riffles and almost stagnant quiet 
backwaters of small, low-gradient streams. 
Breeding habits and habitats of all species except E. punctulatum 
have been examined to some degree (Ellis and Jaffa 1918; Distler 1972; 
Boschung 1976; M. Ryon, pers. comm.; and HWR and JDW, pers. ob- 
serv.). Although no actual observations of spawning of E. punctulatum 
have been made, field data from several workers attest to the presence of 
nuptial males during the spring (W. Pflieger, pers. comm.; L. Knapp, 
pers. comm.; and HWR, pers. observ.). 
The unique spawning habitat of the species of Ozarka affirms their 
close phylogenetic relationship. All typically live in or enter small tribu- 
tary streams during later winter and spawn during early spring (March- 
April). Etheostoma pallidisorsum, E. boschungi, and E. trisella enter and 
spawn in tiny spring-fed rivulets or seepage water in open fields that 
drain into nearby streams. More specific life history information linking 
these three species is available to us and will be published later by HWR 
(E. pallididorsum), H. T. Boschung (£. boschungi), and M. Ryon (E. 
trisella). A detailed analysis of the systematics of the five species of 
Ozarka will be forthcoming from the authors and B. R. Wall. 
