PROC. BIOL. SOC. WASH. 91(2), 1978, pp. 463-471 ETHEOSTOMA AQUALI, A NEW PERCID FISH (SUBGENUS NOTHONOTUS) FROM THE DUCK AND BUFFALO RIVERS, TENNESSEE James D. Williams and David A. Etnier Abstract. — Etheostoma aquali, a new percid fish, is described from the Duck and Buffalo rivers, tributary to the Tennessee River in central Ten-nessee. It is compared to Etheostoma maculatum sanguifluum from the Cumberland River System in Tennessee and Kentucky. The new species differs from other species of the subgenus Nothonotus in details of squama-tion and pigmentation. Recent distribution records of three species of the subgenus Nothonotus are reported. During the past 15 years the rather considerable research conducted on the systematics of darters of the subgenus Nothonotus (genus Etheo-stoma) has resulted in the description of five new species. This research was summarized by Zorach (1972) who discussed relationships within the subgenus. In this paper we describe the coppercheek darter, a new spe-cies, from the Duck and Buffalo river systems, Tennessee River drainage, Tennessee. This brings the number of species assigned to the subgenus Nothonotus to twelve. The three allopatric subspecies of Etheostoma macu-latum may eventually be recognized as species. In addition, extant speci-mens from collections taken some years ago may represent undescribed taxa that have been eliminated or drastically reduced by impoundments and decreasing water quality (see Zorach, 1972:431, and Distribution section in this paper). We acknowledge with thanks the effort and assistance of the following individuals. For the loan of material we are grateful to H. T. Boschung, University of Alabama Ichthyological Collection (UAIC); E. A. Lachner, National Museum of Natural History (USNM); J. S. Ramsey, Auburn Uni-versity (AU); B. H. Bauer, University of Tennessee (UT); and R. D. Suttkus and E. C. Beckham, Tulane University (TU). Thanks are due J. S. Ramsey for the use of his color notes for Etheostoma chlorobranchium and E. maculatum vulneratum, W. C. Starnes for the new distribution record for E. microlepidum and C. F. Saylor for new records for E. camurum and E. tippecanoe. Comparative material of £. m. maculatum, E. m. vulneratum, and E. m. sanguifluum from the UAIC, USNM, and UT collections was utilized in preparing this description. One to three collections of all species of the subgenus Nothonotus were examined for various meristic, pigmentation, and squamation characteristics during the course of the study. Methods
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