Trans. Ky. Acad. Sci., 42(1-2), 1981,35-36 Etheostoma (Boleosoma) longimanum and E. (Catonotus) obeyense, Two More Darters Confirmed as Egg-clusterers LAWRENCE M. PAGE, W. LAWRENCE KELLER, AND LYNN E. CORDES Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana, Illinois 61801 ABSTRACT Egg-clustering and guarding by males are reported for the first time in the longfin darter, Etheostoma /ongimanum, and the barcheek darter, E. obeyense. Darters either bury their eggs in the an egg-clusterer (Raney and Lachner substrate and abandon them, or they at- 1939); E. tip pecanoe, E. camurum, and tach them to an object, usually a rock or E. rufilineaturn are egg-buriers (Traut- plant, above the substrate. Some species man 1957, Mount 1959, Stiles 1972). attach their eggs singly or in small groups Breeding habits of the other nine species and then abandon them; others arrange of Nothonotus are unknown but E. the eggs in a cluster on the underside of aquali and E. microlepidum, close rela- a stone or log and the male guards them tives of E. maculatum, are probably egg- until hatching. clusterers. Egg-clustering, which includes paren- Nests of the longfin darter, E. longi- tal care, is the most complex form of manum, were sought in Craig Creek, breeding behavior in darters and has both above and below New Castle, Craig evolved in at least three unrelated sub- County, Virginia, on 23 May 1980. Only genera (i.e., nonsister-groups) of Etheo- one nest of eggs was found, although sev- stoma: Boleosoma, Nothonotus, and Ca- eral large males in breeding coloration tonotus. It appears to be characteristic of were captured and most females cap- all species of the subgenera Catonotus tured appeared to have spawned already. and Boleosoma, and of one or more (but The nest, guarded by an almost totally not all) species of Nothonotus. Among black, 56-mm male, was found on the un- Boleosoma, egg-clustering is known in derside of a stone in moderately swift E. olinstedi (Seal 1892), E. nigrum (Han- water, at 17.5°C and a depth of about 50 kinson 1919), E. perlongum (D. G. Lind- cm. The nest contained about 600 eggs in quist, J. R. Shute and P. W. Shute, pers. a single-layer custer and averaging 1.5 comm.), and E. longimanum (noted be- mm in diameter. Raney and Lachner low). The only other species in the sub- (1943) studied the life history of E. Ion- genus, E. podostemone, is a sibling of E. aimanum but did not comment on the longimanum and almost certainly exhib- site of egg deposition. its egg-clustering. Nests of the barcheek darter, E. obey- In Catonotus, egg-clustering has been ense, were sought in Smith Creek at the documented for E. fiabellare (Hankinson Route 696 bridge, 3 km SE Albany, Clin- 1932), E. squamiceps. (Page 1974), E. ton County, Kentucky, on 21 May 1980. kennicotti (Page 1975), E. smithi (Page Most individuals of E. obeyense captured and Burr 1976), E. neopterum (Page and were ripe females indicating the 1980 Mayden 1979), E. striatulum (Page spawning period had not peaked. Two 1980), E. olivaceum (Page 1980), E. vir- large breeding males were captured un- gatum (L. E. Kornman, pers. comm.), and der slab stones. The first male apparently E. obeyense (noted below). The only oth- had established a breeding territory un- er taxonomically described species of der the stone, but no eggs were present Catonotus is E. barbouri. on the stone. The second male was Among Nothonotus, E. maculatum is guarding a nest of about 100 eggs on the 35 36 TRANS. KENTUCKY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 42(1.2) underside of a stone at a depth of 40 cm 1975. The life history of the stripetail in slow-flowing water at 18°C. The eggs darter, Etheostoma kennicotti, in Big Creek, Illinois. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. 93. 15 p. were about 2 mm in diameter and many Biol. Notes . 1980. The life histories of Etheostoma contained advanced (eyed) embryos. The olivaceum and Etheostoma striatulum, two guarding male was 64 mm SL. species of darters in central Tennessee. Ill. Nat. Clustering and guarding eggs involves Hist. Surv. Biol. Notes 113. 14 p. complex, derived behavior and the dis- , AND B. M. BURR. 1976. The life history of the slabrock darter, Etheostoma smithi, in tribution of this behavior among darters Ferguson Creek, Kentucky. III. Nat. Hist. Surv. is valuable information on their phylo- Biol. Notes 99. 12 p. genetic relationships. That egg-cluster- , AND R. L. MAYDEN. 1979. Nesting site of ing has evolved in at least three subgen- the lollypop darter Etheostoma neopterum. era of Etheostoma attests to its Trans. Ky. Acad. Sci. 40:56-57. RANEY, E. C., AND E. A. LACHNER. 1939. Obser- contribution to reproductive success vations on the life history of the spotted darter. among darters. Poecilichthys maculatus (Kirtland). Copeia 1939:157-165. LITERATURE CITED , AND . 1943. Age and growth of johnny darters, Boleosoma nigrum olmstedi HANIUNSON, T. L. 1919. Notes of life-histories of (Storer) and Boleosoma longimanum (Jordan). Illinois fish. Trans. Ill. State Acad. Sci. 12:132— Am. Mid!. Nat. 29:229-238. 150. SEAL, W. P. 1892. Observations on the aquaria of . 1932. Observations on the breeding be- the U. S. Fish Commission at Central Station, havior and habitats of fishes in southern Mich- Washington, D.C. Bull. U.S. Fish Comm. igan. Pap. Mich. Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 10(1890):1-12. 15(1931):411-425. STILES, R. A. 1972. The comparative ecology of MOUNT, D. I. 1959. Spawning behavior of the three species of Nothonotus (Percidae-Etheo- bluebreast darter, Etheostoma camurum (Cope). stoma) in Tennessee's Little River. Ph.D. Diss. Copeia 1959:240-243. Univ. Tennessee. 97 p. PAGE, L. M. 1974. The life history of the spottail TRAUTMAN, M. B. 1957. The fishes of Ohio. Ohio darter, Etheostoma squamiceps, in Big Creek, State University Press, Columbus. Illinois, and Ferguson Creek, Kentucky. Ill. Nat. Hist. Surv. Biol. Notes 89. 20 p. .