HE LIFE HISTORY OF THE SPOTTAIL DARTER, 
THEOSTOMA SQUAMICEPS, 
N BIG CREEK, ILLINOIS, AND FERGUSON CREEK, KENTUCKY 
WiTH THE DESCRIPTION of Etheostoma barbouri 
uehne and Small (1971) the number of described 
ecies of the subgenus Catonotus was raised to six. 
ther species are known but undescribed. All 
itonotus species except the wide-ranging E. flabel- 
re have relatively small ranges, and published eco- 
gical information on Catonotus species is limited 
brief notes in state ichthyofaunal reports and 
ecies descriptions and to studies on the reproduc- 
m and diet of E. flabellare (Lake 1936; Daiber 
56; Winn 1958a and 1958b; Karr 1964). 
The paucity of ecological information on Catonotus 
id the occurrence of four species of the subgenus 
a small area encompassing southeastern Illinois 
id adjacent Kentucky prompted life-history studies 
E. squamiceps, E. kennicotti, and E. obeyense. 
his report on E. squamiceps will be followed by 
milar accounts on E. kennicotti and E. obeyense. 
Etheostoma squamiceps was described by Jordan 
'877:11) from specimens collected at Russellville, 
ogan County, Kentucky. The range of the species 
‘ig. 1) includes southern Illinois, southwestern Indi- 
1a, western Kentucky, west-central Tennessee, and 
e Tennessee River drainage of Alabama (Smith- 
aniz 1968:106) and Mississippi (Cook 1959:207). 
orphological descriptions of E. squamiceps are 
ven by Jordan (1877:11-12), Jordan & Evermann 
1896:1096), Forbes & Richardson (1908:312-313), 
ywler (1922:26), Cook (1959:207), Moore (1968: 
0), and Collette & Knapp (1966:39). 
I am indebted to Brooks M. Burr, Ernest L. List, 
eorge W. Lewis, William Raino, Douglas W. 
shemske, Philip W. Smith, Richard L. Smith, Lewis 
Stannard, Jr., John A. Tranquilli, and John D. 
nzicker for aid in collecting specimens; to Dr. 
nith, Mr. Burr, and Mr. Schemske for counsel on 
imerous matters; to Mr. Schemske for identifying 
ost of the stomach contents; to Drs. David A. 
tnier and Vincent H. Resh for information on the 
stribution of E. squamiceps; and to Dr. Francis 
Kruidenier for identification of the acanthocephalan 
irasite. 
The cover illustration was done by Mrs. Alice 
This paper is published by authority of the State of Illinois, 
tS Ch. 127, Par. 58.12, and is a contribution from the Section of 
vunistic Surv eys and Insect Identification of the Illinois Natural 
istory Survey, where Dr. Page is an Assistant Taxonomist. 
Lawrence M. Page 
Ann Prickett, University of Illinois School of Life 
Sciences Artist. Assistance in preparing the other 
illustrations was provided by Illinois Natural History 
Survey Illustrator Lloyd LeMere and Survey Photog- 
rapher Wilmer D. Zehr. The manuscript was edited 
for publication by Robert M. Zewadski, Associate 
Technical Editor of the Survey, and Dr. Howard E. 
Winn, University of Rhode Island, served as guest 
reviewer. 
THE STUDY AREAS 
Big Creek in Hardin County, Illinois, supports 
large populations of both E. squamiceps and E. ken- 
nicotti, and for this reason was selected as one of 
two streams to be used as study areas. Big Creek 
is a spring-fed, direct tributary of the Ohio River 
and lies in limestone formations of the Shawnee 
Hills. The upstream substrate is predominantly a 
mixture of slab rocks and gravel, the middle stream 
bed is mostly coarse gravel, and the downstream 
substrate is mostly sand. The stream system is 
forested throughout, and the water is usually quite 
clear. 
General characteristics and fish populations of Big 
Creek were discussed by Lewis (1957), who found 
the most abundant fishes to be Campostoma anoma- 
lum, Pimephales notatus, Notropis chrysocephalus, 
and Etheostoma caeruleum. Other darters present 
in his collections were Etheostoma kennicotti, E. 
squamiceps, E. nigrum, and Percina caprodes; old 
records (Forbes & Richardson 1908) exist for E. 
chlorosomum and E. asprigene. 
The second study area, Ferguson Creek in Living- 
ston County, Kentucky, is a short, direct tributary 
of the lower Cumberland River and supports large 
populations of E. squamiceps and E. obeyense. The 
stream extends only about 3 miles, under normal 
conditions consists almost entirely of shallow slab- 
rock pools and slab riffles, and has a few deeper 
sand-bottomed pools. The most abundant fishes are 
Pimephales notatus, Notropis umbratilis, Etheostoma 
obeyense, E. squamiceps, and Erimyzon oblongus. 
Other species of darters in Ferguson Creek are 
Etheostoma gracile, E. chlorosomum, E. asprigene, 
Percina maculata, and P. caprodes, all of which are 
uncommon. Most observations and collections in 
COVER ILLUSTRATION: Etheostoma squamiceps collected in Gibbons Creek in Pope County, Illinois. From a drawing 
’ Mrs. Alice Ann Prickett. 
