TN00096 BLUESIDE DARTER ETHEOSTOMA JESSIAE
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: RATHER SMALL 58 MM TL IS A LARGE SPECIMEN, LIGHTLY SPECKLED BACK WITH 6 SADDLES, SIDES HAVE 9-10 BLOTCHES THAT SOMETIMES RESEMBLE THE LETTERS V OR W BUT OFTEN APPEAR AS RELATIVELY SOLID VERTICAL BANDS, BELLY IS CLEAR, DIFFUSE PREORBITAL BAR DOES NOT MEET COUNTERPART ON SNOUT, A WEAK SUBORBITAL BAR MAY EXTEND TO LOWER CHEEK MARGIN, CHIN, THROAT, AND BREAST LACK PIGMENTATION, HAS FAINT NARROW MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL BANDS IN SPINY DORSAL FIN, MALES HAVE A MUCH DARKER BASAL PORTION OF FIN WHILE FEMALES HAVE LIGHT STIPPLING, SOFT DORSAL FIN RAYS ARE NARROWLY EDGED IN BLACK, GIVING THEM A DUSKY LOOK, AND SIMILAR EFFECTS ARE FOUND IN CAUDAL, ANAL, AND PELVIC FINS, THE PECTORAL FINS ARE CLEAR, CHEEK MAY BE NAKED BUT USUALLY HAS A FEW SCALES BENEATH AND BEHIND EYE, OPERCLE AND NAPE ARE SCALED, LATERAL LINE ENDS BENEATH SOFT DORSAL FIN, LATERAL SCALE SERIES NUMBERS 53-62, 5-14 AND ARE UNPORED, FIN COUNTS = DORSAL XI-XII, 11-12, ANAL II, 8-9, PECTORAL 13-15, VERTEBRAE NUMBER 40-42, A NARROW FRENUM IS USUALLY PRESENT, BRANCHIOSTEGAL MEMBRANES ARE SLIGHTLY JOINED, SUPRATEMPORAL AND INFRAORBITAL CANALS ARE COMPLETE, MALES ARE TUBERCULATE AND HAVE A RED AND BLUE STRIPE IN THE SPINY DORSAL FIN AND A WEDGE-SHAPED FLAP FOR GENITAL PAPILLA, FEMALES ARE NOT COLORFUL *TN5018*, FEMALE AND NONBREEDING MALES ARE OLIVE DORSALLY, LIGHT YELLOW TO WHITE VENTRALLY, LARGE MALES MAY HAVE BLUE ON THE HEAD, FINS, AND BODY, BREEDING MALES ARE DUSKY WITH DARK BLUE VERTICAL BARS ON THE SIDES, BRIGHT BLUE CHEEK AND OPERCLE, BLUE MARGINED FIRST DORSAL FIN WITH A WIDE MEDIAL ORANGE BAND, SECOND DORSAL AND CAUDAL FINS ARE DUSKY TO BLACK AND MAY HAVE ORANGE SPOTS, ANAL AND PELVIC FINS ARE BLACK WITH BREEDING TUBERCLES, VENTRAL BODY SCALES MAY ALSO DEVELOPE TUBERCLES, BREEDING FEMALE HAS A LARGE, ELONGATED GENITAL PAPILLA *TN5017* REPRODUCTION: BELIEVED TO SPAWN IN MARCH AND APRIL *TN5072*
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References for Life History Codes
TN5072, TN5018, TN5017
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