Steve is in the process of redescribing simoterum (restricted to the Holston
and Big Sandy), re-elevating atripinne (a Nashville Basin endemic) and
describing several new species from various portions of the Tennessee and
Duck basins. I was going to post the abstract from his dissertation, but
that might violate copyright laws- if you really want you can get it from
Dissertation Abstracts or get a copy via ILL. The reference is: Systematics
and evolution of snubnose darters of the subgenus Ulocentra (Actinopterygii:
Percidae). Powers, Steven Lynn, PhD. THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, 2003. (Roll
Tide, roll!)
>With all of these Ulocentra the differences revolve around fairly subtle
>differences in pigmentation, especially of the "saddles", and just how
>declivous the snout is.
"Fairly subtle?!" People who thought that atripinne graded into simoterum
either hadn't seen nuptial males or hadn't looked critically. The geographic
breaks between these taxa are discrete, abrupt, and stunning - maybe if
you're a myopic color-blind human and can't distinguish between green,
black, and orange you might have a problem, but the fish seem to sort
themselves out just fine.
cheers,
Dave
-- along the muddy Mississipi, St. Louis, MO
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