Etymology/Derivation of Scientific Name
Etheostoma, from the Greek etheo, “to strain,” and stoma, “mouth;” chlorosoma, Greek, meaning “greenish-yellow” (Pflieger 1997).

Synonymy
Vaillantia chlorosoma Hay 1881:495.
Vaillantia camura Hay 1883:62.
Beleosoma camurum Hildebrand and Towers 1928:125.
Etheosoma chlorosomum Cook 1959:201.

Type Locality
Branch of Tuscumbia River, at Corinth, Alcorn County, Mississippi; Sand Creek, near Artesia, Lowndes County, Mississippi; and Horsehunter Creek, at Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi (Hay 1881).

Currently secure (Warren et al. 2000).

Coloration: Head with preorbital bars that extend (and connect) around snout in addition to dark suborbital bars and postorbital spots; lateral region greenish-yellow with dark "X" and "M" shaped markings and a small dark caudal spot; ventral region white. Dorsal and caudal fins with light brown stripes; other fins are colorless. Breeding males have the above colors in a darker shade with operculum having a metallic green coloration and the first dorsal fin with black stripes notable anteriorly.

Counts: Data for specimens collected in the Colorado, Brazos, San Jacinto, Trinity, Neches, and Sabine drainages: 52-63 total lateral line scales, 10-40 are pored; 11-15 scales in transverse series; 16-23 caudal peduncle scale rows. Fin rays: dorsal 8-12; anal 7-10; branched caudal 12-15; total pectoral 24-28; pelvic 5 (Bart and Cashner 1986). 1 anal fin spine (Hubbs et al. 1991).

Body shape: Elongated and slender.

Mouth position: Subterminal and horizontal.

External morphology:  Incomplete lateral line, blunt snout. Bart and Cashner (1986) noted sexual dimorphism in the following characters: Breeding males with small, tubular shaped genital papillae and thickened, fleshy pelvic and anal spines; tubercles observed on pelvic and anal spines; tubercles usually present on the anterior rays of these fins, but sometimes seen on all rays and spines. Females with large, fleshy heart-shaped genital papillae which increased in size as females approached height of breeding condition. Mature males and females have two rows of tubercle-like structures on the interradial membrane of the caudal fin (distribution and fleshy nature of structures suggests function similar to contact organs during spawning (Bartand Cashner 1986).

Maximum size: 50 mm SL (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Carlander 1997).

Host Records
Urocleidus chlorosomus and U. lottensis (Trematoda: Monogenea), reported from species in southern Mississippi (Harrises and Vickery 1970).

U.S. distribution: Mississippi River drainage and gulf slope drainages from Alabama to Texas
(Hubbs et al. 1991).

Texas distribution: Guadalupe River drainage eastward (Hubbs et al. 1991). Warren et al. (2000) listed the following drainage units for distribution of Etheostoma chlorosomum in the state: Red River (from the mouth upstream to and including the Kiamichi River), Sabine Lake (including minor coastal drainages west to Galveston Bay), Galveston Bay (including minor coastal drainages west to mouth of Brazos River), Brazos River, Colorado River, San Antonio Bay (including minor coastal drainages west of mouth of Colorado River to mouth of Nueces River).

Macrohabitat: Low gradient, clear, small streams to moderate-sized rivers (Gilbert 1980; Simon and Wallus 2006). Specimens collected from middle Brazos River (Texas) oxbow lakes (Winemiller et al. 2000; Zeug et al. 2005).

Mesohabitat: Backwaters, pools, and areas of slow current in areas with organic debris, silt, and sand (Gilbert 1980; Bart and Cashner 1986; Simon and Wallus 2006). Abundance of this species apparently unaffected by removal of submersed aquatic vegetation in Lake Conroe, a reservoir in the headwaters of the San Jacinto River, southeastern Texas, as it was rare when vegetation was abundant, and did not increase in abundance following vegetation removal (Bettoli et al. 1993).

Longevity: Up to three years (Etnier and Starnes 1993).

Food habits: Benthic invertivore (Goldstein and Simon 1999). In Tennessee specimens, stomachs contained hydropsychid caddisfly, dytiscid beetle, and midge larvae (Etnier and Starnes 1993; Goldstein and Simon 1999).

Spawning season: Early January to late March, in east Texas (Hubbs 1985). Spawning temperatures range from 22-26°C (Simon 1994).

Spawning location: Nest spawners on plants or plant debris (Winn 1958; Carlander 1997).  Female selects spawning site; eggs laid on algae, twigs, and leaves (Page et al. 1982).

Reproductive strategy: Guarders; substratum spawners; phytophils – have adhesive eggs that are attached to a variety of plants. Free embryos without cement glands (Page et al. 1982; Bart, unpublished data in: Simon 1999). Male swims near female, both vibrate while depositing milt and one to three eggs per bout (Page et al. 1982).

Fecundity: Females measuring 38-49 mm TL collected from a creek in Union Parish, Louisiana, had a mean ovary weight that was 17.1% of the body weight, containing a mean of 117.6 total ova that average 0.83 mm in diameter; females showed statistically significant increasing fecundity with increasing length; females 38-49 mm TL had 73-171 large mature ova (Simon, T.P., unpublished data; Simon and Wallus 2006). Eggs from Louisiana are spherical, range from 0.9-1.1 mm diameter (mean 1.0 mm), translucent, demersal, and nonadhesive (Simon 1994). Eggs from Cummins Creek and various Neches River tributaries, Texas, average 1.05 mm in diameter; hatching occurs after 156-211 hours at an incubation temperature of 26°C (Hubbs 1967).

Age/size at maturation: No information; likely before age-1. Simon and Wallus (2006) reported that female specimens from an unnamed creek in Union Parish, Louisiana were sexually mature at 39 mm TL.

Commercial or Environmental Importance
[Additional literature noting collection of this species from Texas locations includes, but is not limited to the following: Hubbs and Hettler (1958); Evans and Noble (1979); Kleinsasser and Linam (1987); Linam and Kleinsasser (1987); Winemiller (1991); Matthews et al. (1996); Moriarty and Winemiller (1997); Winemiller et al. (2004).]

Etheostoma, from the Greek etheo, “to strain,” and stoma, mouth” (Pflieger 1997); spectabile: conspicuous and is appropriate for breeding males (Kuehne and Barbour 1983).

Synonymy
Poecilichthys spectabilis Agassiz 1854.
Poecilichthys versicolor Agassiz 1854.
Oligocephalus pulchellus Girard 1859.
Etheostoma arcuscelestic Crevecoeur 1903.
Etheostoma spectabile uniporum Distler 1968.
Etheostoma spectabile fragi Distler 1968.
Etheostoma spectabile squamosum Distler 1968.

Type Locality
Osage River, Missouri (Agassiz 1854)

Populations in the southern United States are currently stable (Warren et al. 2000).

In a Kentucky population, young reported to grow to about 45 mm TL the first year, with lengths of 60-70 mm attained the second year (Small 1975).

Coloration: Hubbs et al. (1991) list the following characteristics for this species in Texas: 8-9 body bars; throat of males orange (lost in preservation); no black spot on upper margin of pectoral fins; no pale longitudinal streak along lateral line; sides without large black rectangular blotches. Page (1983) lists coloration for Etheostoma spectabile throughout range: olive to brown dorsally, with 6 -11 dark green dorsal saddles. Dark blue vertical bars on side of body, variable in shape geographically, separated by yellow, orange, or red pigments (much brighter in males). Over much of the range of the species the anterior side has short horizontal rows of dark dots. Venter is white to orange. Branchiostegal membranes and often breast of adult male are bright orange. Orbital bars are black and prominent. In the male, 1st dorsal fin red basally and blue marginally and often (varies geographically) has clear and intermediate bands. The 2nd dorsal fin is mostly orange and often (varies geographically) blue basally. Anal fin is blue, green, or clear. Pelvic fins are blue; caudal and pectoral fins clear or yellow. Fins of female are mostly clear or have light brown bands.

Counts: 2 anal fin spines; more than 6 pored lateral line scales (Hubbs et al. 1991). Page (1983) lists the following counts for this species: lateral scales 32-61 (40-53), 10-42 (20-34) pored; scales above lateral line 5-6; scales below lateral line 7-9 (8); transverse scales 12-16 (14); scales around caudal peduncle 17-20 (18-19); dorsal spines 8-12 (9-10); dorsal rays 10-15 (12-13); pectoral rays 10-14 (11-12); anal rays 4-8 (6-7).

Body shape:  Body cross section oval; body depth contained in standard length less than five times; head profile rounded, profile in front of eye less than 45 degrees; upper jaw not extending as far as to below middle of eye (Hubbs et al. 1991).

Mouth position: Terminal (Goldstein and Simon 1999).

External morphology: Infraorbital canal interrupted below eye; gill membranes barely connected; lateral line straight; pectoral fin shorter than head, not reaching anus; belly scaled (a narrow naked band may be present on midline); preopercle smooth or weakly serrate (Hubbs et al. 1991). Tubercles develop on breeding male on the anal, pelvic, and lower portion of the caudal and pectoral fins, and on ventral scales. During the breeding season females develop a long and tubular genital papilla (Page 1983).

Maximum size:  60 mm SL (Page 1983).

Host Records: Acanthocephalus tahlequahensis (Acanthocephala: Ecinorhynchidae; Oetinger and Buckner 1976).

U.S. distribution: Found through much of the central United States, especially in the Ozarks and Central Lowlands (Hubbs et al. 1991).

Texas distribution: Occurs primarily in the Edwards Plateau region from the San Antonio River north and east to the Red River. Absent from parts of streams flowing through the Coastal Plain (Hubbs et al. 1991). Warren et al. (2000) list the following drainage unit for distribution of Etheostoma spectabile in the state: Red River (from the mouth upstream to and including the Kiamichi River).

Food habits:  Goldstein and Simon (1999) list first and second level trophic classifications for this species as invertivore, and benthic, respectively; main food items include midge and blackfly larvae, mayfly nymphs (Baetis, Stenonema), isopods, amphipods, and caddisfly larvae. After hatching, fry drift downstream into quiet, shallow pools and feed on small insects and crustaceans. Subadults and adults feed on larger foods including larval dipterans, caddisflies, amphipods, terrestrial insects, and fish eggs (Cross 1967; Edwards 1997).

Macrohabitat: Small to moderate-sized upland streams (Page 1983; Etnier and Starnes 1993).

Mesohabitat: Found in shallow gravel riffles, less often in raceways and pools (Page 1983); frequenting moderate to sluggish flowing water; often occurs with detritus or near undercut or brushy banks (Etnier and Starnes 1993). Inhabits hardwater, gravelly streams of Edwards, Ozark, and Interior Low plateaus and adjacent Central Lowlands of North America (Distler 1968). In streams, males occupy riffles throughout year; during the reproductive period, females remain downstream in pool habitat until ready to reproduce; migrations between the pools and riffles occur during winter months, with specimens remaining on the riffles often burying themselves into gravel to conserve energy (Simon 2006). Species often associated with vegetation, brush, rocks that provide protection (Kuehne and Barbour 1983; Page 1983). In some areas, species shows a preference for spring habitats, apparently being physiologically adaptable to stable thermal conditions (Hill and Matthews 1980). Pflieger (1966) reported newly-hatched larvae moving to occupy the nests of smallmouth bass, where they are apparently afforded some protection against small predators, and are able to find an abundance of microcrustacean food items.

Longevity: Most die after their first breeding season as adults; rarely live longer than 2 years (Edwards 1997).

Spawning season: Spawning in Texas occurs from mid-October through July (Hubbs and Armstrong 1962; Marsh 1980; Hubbs 1985).

Spawning habitat: Lithophils; rock and gravel spawners that do not guard their eggs. Large eggs are buried in gravel depressions called redds or in rock interstitial spaces (Simon 1999). Spawning occurs within and below shallow gravel riffles with moderate flows and the eggs are buried in the substrate (Edwards 1997).

Reproductive strategy: Nonguarders; brood hiders (Simon 1999). Prior to spawning, males establish territories around females and become relatively aggressive at this time (Edwards 1997). A male establishes territory around female, mounts the female, the pair vibrate as eggs and sperm are released into gravel substrate into which the female has partially buried herself; 3-7 eggs are laid and the process is repeated; several females may spawn with same male (Winn 1958a; 1958b; Page 1983).

Fecundity: Females produce from less 50 to about 200 eggs per season, generally with multiple clutches (Hubbs 1985); Hubbs et al. (1968) recorded average egg diameter of 1.5 mm. In Kentucky, Small (1975) reported gravid females containing 300-1,200 eggs. Winn (1958b) reported 430-896 ova (of all sizes) in four 1-year-old females (30-33 mm), 938-1,480 ova in four 2-year-olds (36-42 mm), and 1,758-2,070 ova in two 3-year-olds (45-46 mm); eggs averaged 1.2 mm in diameter and hatched in 9.5-10 days at 16.5-18.5 degrees C. Variation in eggs size (mass) has been noted geographically, seasonally, and among females captured at the same place and time (Marsh 1984). In Texas, eggs and larvae survive a temperature range of 10-27 degrees C (Hubbs 1961; Hubbs and Armstrong 1962); those from Missouri and Arkansas survive higher temperature maxima than do those from central Texas (Hubbs and Armstrong 1962).

Age/Size at maturation:  Individuals become adults at 1 year of age (Cross 1967; Edwards 1997). Hubbs et al. (1968) observed a ripe female only 27 mm SL.

Phylogeny and morphologically similar fishes: Etheostoma spectabile is similar to the greenthroat darter (E. lepidum) and the mud darter (E. asprigene); the greenthroat darter differs from the orangethroat darter in that it is deepest under middle of 1st dorsal fin, has an interrupted supratemporal canal, and green branchiostegal membranes and breast; the mud darter differs from the orangethroat darter in that it is deepest under middle of 1st dorsal fin, has uninterrupted infraorbital canal, and usually 13-14 pectoral rays (Page and Burr 1991). Artificially induced hybridization between E. spectabile and related E. lepidum produces fertile females but sterile males (Hubbs 1958a). Hubbs and Laritz (1961) reported natural occurrence of E. spectabile X Percina sciera (= Hadropterus scierus, the dusky darter) hybrid.

Commercial or Environmental Importance
[Additional literature noting collection of this species from Texas locations includes, but is not limited to the following: Hubbs and Strawn (1957); Hubbs (1957; 1958b; 1960; 1967); Hubbs and Hettler 1958; Riggs and Bonn (1959); Marsh (1986).]