Abstract
A new species of rock bass, Amblopiites constellatus, is described from the upland section of the White River in Arkansas and Missouri. It is compared with the closely related northern rock bass {A. rupestris) from Missouri and Meramec river populations, the southern rock bass {A. ariommus) from the Ouachita and Little river drainages, and with other western rock bass populations of undetermined status. Amblopiites constellatus is distinguished from its congeners by its freckled color pattern and slender body form. Amblopiites constellatus occurs throughout the upper White River. There are two records of the species from the Osage River drainage in Missouri. from other Missouri populations. Based on our examination of mate- rial from throughout the Ozark Upland province, as well as other western rock bass populations, we describe the upper White River population as a new species, Amblopiites constellatus, the Ozark rock bass. The new form differs from its closest relative, A. rupestris (Rafmesque), the northern rock bass, in color pattern, finer squama- tion, and higher average number of dorsal and anal fin rays. We can find no evidence of intergradation between the new form and either A. rupestris or A. ariommus Viosca, both of which have close geographically associated populations. Amblopiites ariommus is regarded herein as a full species. Methods for meristic procedures generally follow Hubbs and Lagler (1947), except for fin elements, which are expressed as a total number, and diagonal scale rows, in which the count includes the number above and below the lateral line row plus the lateral line scale. The breast scale count is made by counting the scale at the lower base of the left pectoral fin insertion, counting downward and forward to the ventral midline and then upward and backward to
Published Version
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