A comparison between two populations of the Johnny darter, Etheostoma nigrum nigrum (Percidae), from Ontario, with notes on other populations
Johnny darters, Etheostoma nigrum nigrum, collected from Lake Superior were compared with individuals of the same subspecies collected in the Nith River (Lake Erie drainage). Nith River specimens, on an average, had 4.5 fewer lateral line scales, and more scales on the nape. The Lake Superior individuals had a snout which exhibited a subconical profile, whereas the individuals from the Nith River possessed a blunt profile.Examination of other populations of this subspecies indicates that lateral line scale count exhibits a northwest to southeast cline from Saskatchewan and Manitoba to North Carolina. All the supplementary populations were predominantly of one morph with regards to snout profile, the northwesterly populations being similar to the Lake Superior population, and the southeasterly ones being similar to the Nith River population. The taxonomic significance of snout profile is discussed.