Etheostoma michellae Mayden & Kuhajda 2025, new species

Etheostoma michellae Mayden, new species Sipsey Fork Darter Fig. 1 Holotype — UAIC 11065.05. Male. Alabama, Lawrence Co., Borden Creek at Forest Service Road 224, William Bankhead National Forest. T8 S, R8 W, S21/28, 34.329885 -87.377174. 18 April 1994. B. R. Kuhajda and R. L. Mayden. Paratypes — UAIC 11065.07, n=14, from UAIC 11065.05; UF 188210 (n=2); TU 204141 (n=2). All with the same data as the holotype. UAIC 11290.06 (n=5). UAIC 11040.01, n=3, Alabama, Lawrence Co., Flannigan Creek at Forest Service Road 208, 8.8 km S Youngtown, T8 S, R8 W, S 21, 34.338848 -87.388241. 10 May 1994. AUM 54703, n=6 same locality as UAIC 11040.01. 5 August 2011. Alabama, Lawrence County: UAIC 1696.14 (5), Borden Creek at Bunyan Hill Road (Co. Rd. 5, Forest Service Road 224), 34.309532 -87.394673, T8 S, R8 W, S32, 12 July 1978; UAIC 3868.08 (11), 22 August 1970; UAIC 6264.09 (19), 11 October 1980; UAIC 11065.05 (19), 18 April 1994; BRK16-17, 5 May 2016. UAIC 4963.12 (4), Borden Creek at Forest Service Road 229 (208) (Co. Rd. 9), 34.329867 -87.377157, T8 S, R8 W, S21/28, 19 August 1974; UAIC 13309.12 (2). 24 June 2001. UAIC 11040.01 (3), Flannigan Creek at Forest Service Road 229 (208) (Co. Rd 9), 34.338849 -87.388339, T8 S, R8 W, S21, 10 May 1994. Winston County: UAIC 4329.18 (7), Sipsey Fork at Sipsey Recreation Area on Co. Rd. 60, 34.285416 -87.399144, T9 S, R8 W, S8, 2 November 1978. UAIC 3852.12 (7), Sipsey Fork at mouth of Hurricane Creek, 34.252967 -87.367050, T9 S, 8W, S22, 3 November 1971. Diagnosis. Member of Etheostoma chermocki species group as identified by Boschung et al. 1992, Clabaugh et al. (1996) and Boschung & Mayden (2004). Etheostoma chermocki was diagnosed from the Etheostoma bellator complex by Boschung et al. (1992) and Suttkus & Bailey (1993). Etheostoma michellae is distinguished from E. kimberlae using the following combination of characters; cream-colored horizontal stripe through lateral band broad obvious vs. very narrow to absent; snout of breeding males dusky and often masking preorbital stripes vs. snout lightly colored with obvious preorbital stripes; suborbital bar long, dark and well defined vs. usually shorter, diffuse, and lightly pigmented; lateral blotches diffuse and occurring both above and below lateral line vs. lateral blotches dark and largely below lateral line; crimson line above lateral line broken up into segments between diffuse upper halves of lateral blotches vs. crimson lines formed by spots continuous to nearly continuous and not interrupted by lateral blotches; distinct coloration pattern in spinous and soft dorsal fins of breeding males as described below in color description. Etheostoma michellae is further distinguished from E. kimberlae in the possession of the following alleles at identified protein loci: sAat-A (B vs. A)†, mAcon-A (B, C vs. B) *, Acp-1 (B vs. A)†, Ada-2 (B vs. A)†, Est-2 (A vs. D)†, Pep-B (B vs. B, C) *, Pep-F (B vs. D)†, Pnp-A (C, D vs. D) *. Etheostoma michellae is diagnosed from E. bellator based on the following characters: crimson line above lateral line broken up into segments between upper halves of lateral blotch vs. crimson line irregular in shape and passing over lateral blotches. Etheostoma michellae is further distinguished from E. bellator in the possession of the following alleles at identified protein loci: mAcon-A (B, C vs. B) *, and Est-2 (A vs. D)†. Etheostoma michellae usually has 45–48 lateral line scale rows (46–50 in E. kimberlae, usually 45, and 47–51 in E. bellator). Scale rows below lateral line usually 8 (usually 7 or 8 in E. kimberlae and E. bellator). Transverse scale rows usually 14 or 15 (usually 15 in E. kimberlae). Transverse scale rows plus scale rows below lateral line usually 14 or 15 (usually 15 in E. kimberlae, 14 or 15 in E. bellator). Dorsal fin rays usually 11 or 12 (usually 11 in E. bellator, 11 or 12 in E. kimberlae). Pectoral fin rays usually 14 (usually 13 in E. kimberlae and 14 in E. bellator). Caudal fin rays 15 or 16 (usually 14 in E. bellator and E. kimberlae) Etheostoma michellae differs E. kimberlae in usually having 8 infraorbital pores (mean = 8.1) (vs. usually 7, mean 7.1). Nape, cheek, opercle scaled; breast naked. Etheostoma michellae is a small member of the E. chermocki species group, reaching a recorded 45.0 mm SL (male) or 41.4 mm SL (female) vs. E. bellator (male = 58 mm SL, Suttkus & Bailey 1993; female = 48.2 herein) and E. chermocki (male = 55 mm SL; female = 51 mm SL; Boschung et al. 1992) and slightly larger than E. kimberlae (male = 45.0 mm SL; female = 41.4 mm SL). Description. General head and body shape and coloration illustrated in Figure 4. Morphometric variables for males and females (sexually dimorphic) provided in Table 1. Distribution of lateral line scales, caudal fin rays, and pectoral fin rays provided in Table 2. Small snubnose darter, reaching a recorded 47.7 mm SL (male) or 42.6 mm SL (female). Lateral line complete and virtually straight from upper margin of gill opening to base of caudal fin. Scale rows above lateral line 4(2 spms), 5 (56) or 6 (5) (Mean = 5.0, SD = 0.33). Scale rows below lateral line 6 (1), 7 (27), 8 (27), or 9 (8) (Mean = 7.7, SD = 0.72). Transverse scale rows 14 (27), 15 (27), 16 (7), or 17 (Mean = 14.7, SD = 0.76). Transverse scale rows plus scale rows below lateral line 13 (1), 14 (26), 15 (29), or 16 (8) (Mean = 14.7, SD = 0.71). Caudal peduncle scale rows 10 (3), 11 (38), or 12 (22) (Mean = 11.3, SD = 0.55). Dorsal saddles 6 (1), 7 (2), or 8 (60) (mean = 7.9; SD = 0.30). Dorsal fin spines 6 (3), 7 (51), 8 (8), or 9 (1) (Mean = 7.4, SD = 0.42). Dorsal fin rays 9 (1), 10 (3), 11 (38), or 12 (22) (Mean = 11.2, SD = 0.63). Anal spines 2 (67). Pelvic spines 1 (67 specimens). Pelvic rays 5 (65). Infraorbital pores 8 (9 spms) and 9 (1) (Mean = 8.1, SD = 0.32). Preopercularmandibular pores 8 (7) and 9 (3) (Mean = 8.3, SD = 0.48). Lateral canal pores 2 (9) and 3 (1) (mean = 1.75, SD = 0.45). Supratemporal canal complete, pores 2 (10). Supraorbital pores 3 (10). Coronal pore single (10). Coloration of live breeding males. Dorsum of head and body cream colored except for series of black saddles on body, normally numbering 8. Dorsolateral scales lightly pigmented along edges. Deep crimson-colored scale row(s) directly above lateral line broken/interrupted by diffuse, dorsally elongate lateral blotches; diffuse lateral blotches tall and cross moderately broad light stripe along lateral light. Crimson colored scales above lateral line broken into distinct segments, not continuous single line; segments of crimson-colored scales between distinct lateral blotches above lateral line beginning anteriorly as one scale row and sometimes terminate posteriorly near next blotch as two scale rows deep. Dark caudal spot present and posterior to hypural plate, sometimes narrowly connected to last lateral blotch; short crimson stripe above and posterior to caudal spot usually absent or poorly developed; caudal spot bordered dorsally and ventrally by cream-colored circular to oval spots. Some ventrolateral scales lightly pigmented with melanophores, especially along distal portion of scales. Above and below caudal spot and yellowish areas small but distinct black spots medial to procurrent rays. Narrow reddish-orange ventrolateral stripe present and involving usually 1–2 scale rows (sometimes 3); narrow reddish-orange stripe above base of anal fin and pelvic fin insertion, and extending anteriorly to under pectoral fin to insertion. Ventrolateral color stripe not connected with crimson scales around complex lateral stripe. Opercle dusky and darkest at dorsal third; dark oblique bar between cheek and preopercle absent; remainder opercle lightly pigmented to immaculate, especially progressing ventrally; opercle with greenish hue. Underside of head, gular region, branchiostegals, and tip of snout turquoise. Suborbital bar dark and long; preorbital stripe light and extending to tip of snout; stripes often masked by darkly pigmented snout. Pectoral fin without prominent stripes. Pectoral fin spine and distal tips of branched rays 1–2 immaculate; remaining rays with greenish-yellow hue; membranes pigmented. Base of pectoral fin and surrounding areas dusky to immaculate with reddish hue visible from blood vessels below surface. Pelvic fin spines and distal tips of branched rays 1–2 immaculate; remaining rays turquoise; membranes pigmented; fins without dark stripes or darkly pigmented rays; base light turquoise to immaculate. Pelvic fin spines turquoise; remaining rays turquoise to darkly pigmented. Narrow median clear stripe present, especially posteriorly. Base and distal portions of fin membranes and rays turquoise; membranes, except in clear area, with melanophores. Spinous dorsal fin with five bands. Basal band narrow and composed of black and golden pigment on bases of spines; band separated by narrow clear area from a distinct black stripe with pigment on membranes and spines; black pigment horizontal across spines and membranes but extending dorsally on membranes as narrow lines, creating generally concave black line; cream-colored area filling in membranes and rays anterior to dorsal extension of black; broad black band separated from sub-distal red band formed from distinct, oblique to horizontal stripes of crimson red on membranes (rays white to clear); red band begins with distinct red spot on first membrane, is narrow anteriorly but expands to broad band on membranes at the posterior-most portion of fin. Distal-most band clear or white anteriorly and becoming black posteriorly; rays white to clear and contrasting with distal-most stripe. Second dorsal fin with five distinct bands: basally, fin with yellow band; distal to this is a narrow black band; distal to this band is a broad median crimson red band where pigment limited to membranes and rays golden to white; sub-distal band cream-yellow; distal-most band black, basal portion of anterior rays with alternating bl