Systematic Studies of the Orangethroat Darter, Etheostoma Spectabile, Complex (Percidae: Subgenus Oligocephalus)

A morphological and allozymic examination of variation within populations previously recognized as the orangethroat darter, Etheostoma spectabile, with an emphasis on populations occurring south of the Ohio River in Kentucky and Tennessee and a reexamination of populations occurring in the Ozarks, has revealed the existence of nine previously unknown taxa and confirmed specific status for two previously recognized subspecies. Each of the newly recognized species has unique color patterns on the breeding males and diagnostic modes for various meristic counts. These eleven species, along with populations putatively recognized as E. s. pulchellum, E. s. spectabile, and E. s. squamosum comprise a monophyletic group that is recognized as the E. spectabile complex. Included are a diagnosis and general description of the E. spectabile complex; a key to the breeding males of the E. spectabile complex; a key to the females and nonbreeding males; diagnoses, descriptions, discussions of intraspecific variation, comparisons among taxa, and distributional data for each recognized taxon within the E. spectabile complex; and comparisons of meristic and allozyme data among the species.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Ceas, Patrick Alfred

Contributors dc:contributor

• Page, Lawrence M.

• Biology, Zoology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9737067

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/85390