Variation and Systematics of Etheostoma whipplei, The Redfin Darter (Pisces: Percidae)

Abstract

show no evidence of intergradation. The two species are distributed allopatrically over most of their ranges, but overlap slightly in the Ouachita River system and possibly in the Red River system. Only one mixed collection of the two species was examined during this study, but there may be a thin zone of syntopy all along the Fall Line in these two river systems. Variation among populations of E. whipplei is best treated systematically as consisting of two subspecies, E. w. whipplei and E. w. artesiae. E. w. whipplei occurs only above the Fall Line in the Arkansas and White River systems. E. w. artesiae occurs throughout the rest of the range of the species, including below, but not above, the Fall Line in the Ouachita and Red River systems. E. radiosum occurs only above the Fall Line in the Ouachita and Red River systems.