Etheostoma rupestre uphapeense, Hilburn, Janosik, and Johnston, New Subspecies Jade Darter

Figure 7C, Tables 1–11

Etheostoma cf. rupestre — Near et al. 201l: 568, 578, Tbl 1., Fig. 3 (recognition as a distinct lineage, termed Eastern Rock Darter).

Holotype. Alabama. Macon Co., USNM 398679, 53 mm SL, Uphapee Creek, I 85, 32.4745º -85.6881º, 19 April 2010, K. M. Dowling, T. H. Haley and R. K. Bolton.

Paratopotypes. Alabama. Macon Co., USNM 398680, same locality, (14, 35–45), 3/ 8 November 2008; USNM 398681, same locality, (1, 50), 9 January 2008; USNM 398682, same locality, (1, 40), 9 January 2008; USNM 398683, (1, 38), same locality, 9 January 2008; AUM 5147, Uphapee Creek, 5.6 air km N of Tuskegee on Interstate-85 (4, 29–34), 16 August 1969, 32.4747º, -85.6864º; AUM 6564, 5.6 air km N of Tuskegee on Interstate-85 (24, 38–62), 29 October 1971, 32.475º, -85.6869º; AUM 47401, at SR 81, 3.65 miles N of Tuskegee (3, 47–51), 9 January 2008, 32.4747º, -85.6864º.

Paratypes. Coosa River drainage: Alabama. Coosa Co., AUM 18036, Hatchet Creek, 6.1 air km N of Rockford on Highway 231 (1, 39), 14 July 1978, 32.9441º, -86.2042º; AUM 18179, 6.1 air km N of Rockford on Highway 231 (1, 31), 08 September 1978, 32.9442º, -86.2042º; UAIC 10590.15, 9.7 km W of Rockford, 3.7 km N of Kelly’s Crossroads on gravel logging road (2, 35–42), 26 October 1990, 32.8697º, -86.3211º; UAIC 10591.20, 6.4 km NNE of Rockford, 0.3 km N of U.S. Highway 231 (4, 36–40), 27 October 1990, 32.9442º, -86.2036º; UAIC 11534.10, U.S. Highway 280, 7.2 km WSW of Goodwater (3, 33–37), 16 September 1996, 33.03611º, -86.1233º. Georgia. Cherokee Co., UAIC 12413, Etowah River, Coker’s Church Road 1.6 km SE of Gober (2, 42–47), 26 February 2000, 34.2692º, -84.4186º. Whitfield Co., AUM 9111, Conasauga River, Beaverdale on Highway 2 at Murray Co. line (2, 50–56), 01 August 1974, 34.9901º, -84.7744º. Tennessee. Bradley Co., USNM 231113, Conasauga River, Highway 74 (2, 38–39), 16 May 1970, 35.0016º, -84.7785º; UAIC 12835.10, Highway 74, downstream to mouth of Mill Creek (1, 51), 15 May 1977, 33.2942º, -87.5697º.

Tallapoosa River drainage: Alabama. Macon Co., UAIC 9696.21, Chewacla Creek, Co. Road 22, 9.7 km E of Tuskegee (6, 33–42), 20 October 1987, 32.4097º, -85.5936º; AUM 69405, at gauging station at old CR 33 bridge crossing, 4.3 miles S of Auburn (1, 57), 28 July 2017, 32.5477º, -85.4810º. AUM 47177, Uphapee Creek, at swamp trib. inlet, unmarked dirt road immediately before Hwy 29 crossing, 4 miles NW of Tuskegee (1, 51), 22 July 2002, 32.4394º, -85.6403º. AUM 42074, Choctafaula Creek, at junction with Uphapee Creek (1, 51), 30 October 1991, no lat/long available; AUM 66500, at FSR 900, 4 miles NE of Tuskegee, Tuskegee National Forest (5, 46–59), 16 August 2001, 32.4676º, -85.6374º. AUM 34523, Choctafaula Creek, ST 186, 6 miles NE of Tuskegee (1, 44), 20 June 2001, 32.4792º, -85.6258º. AUM 74479, Opintlocco Creek, at Old Columbus Road (CR 26), first run upstream (6, 48–60), 17 May 2022, 32.4125º, 85.6166º.

Diagnosis. While Etheostoma r. uphapeense has large degrees of overlap with other subspecies in every trait measured, populations can be diagnosed and distinguished from other subspecies based on the following morphological tendencies: populations of E. r. uphapeense differ from E. r. rupestre by possessing modally six scales above the lateral line (as opposed to five in E. r. rupestre) (Table 2), by possessing a higher range of lateral line scales than populations of E. r. rupestre (49–63 in E. r. uphapeense vs. usually 45–59 in E. r. rupestre) (Table 1), by having a much narrower range of nape squamation (>40% scaled in E. r. uphapeense vs. 0–100% scaled in E. r. rupestre) (Table 7), and by possessing a higher number of lateral blotches (7–9 in E. r. uphapeense vs. 3–8 in E. r. rupestre). Populations of E. r. uphapeense possess 7–9 distinct lateral blotches (mean 7.7) as opposed to 5–9 (mean 7.0) in E. r. piersoni (Table 9). Etheostoma r. uphapeense and E. r. piersoni are genetically distinct and monophyletic on cytochrome b (Janosik et al., 2023).

Description. Populations of Etheostoma r. uphapeense possess the following traits: lateral line scales 49–63 (modally 54–60) (Table 1), scale rows above the lateral line 5–7 (modally 6) (Table 2), scale rows below the lateral line 6–11 (modally 8–10) (Table 3), scales around the caudal peduncle 17–22 (modally 19–21) (Table 4), dorsal spines X–XII (modally XI–XII) (Table 5), dorsal-fin rays 10–13 (modally 12) (Table 6), nape squamation 40–100% (mean 70–97%) (Table 7), belly squamation 20–70% (mean 45–54%) (Table 8), Lateral blotches tend towards being well-defined and typically range 7–9 (mean 7.7) (Table 9), distance between lateral blotches 4.0–6.1% of SL (mean 5.0%), average lateral blotch width 3.8–5.3% of SL (mean 4.6%), dorsal saddle width 5.7–8.0% of SL (mean 6.9%) (Table 10), male distal band in first dorsal fin 24.5–50.7% of fin depth (mean 43.4%), total first dorsal pigment 53.4–76.9% of fin depth (mean 64.7%) (Table 11), nuptial coloration ranging from light blue to dark green.

Distribution. Etheostoma rupestre uphapeense is restricted to several small, disjunct populations in the Coosa and Tallapoosa basins of eastern Alabama, Northwest Georgia, and extreme southeastern Tennessee (Fig. 2). The following are the systems known to possess populations of E. r. uphapeense: In the Tallapoosa system:Uphapee Creek and its tributaries; In the Coosa system: Hatchet Creek, The Conasauga River, Talking Rock Creek (Coosawattee system), and the Etowah River. Very few individuals of E. r. uphapeense have been reported historically from certain other streams in the Coosa (e.g., Choccolocco Creek), and additional isolated populations may eventually be discovered in the Coosa watershed.

Comments. Etheostoma rupestre uphapeense has a spotty distribution and is often uncommon where it occurs. We recommend routine monitoring to ensure population numbers are stable.

Etymology. The subspecific epithet uphapeense is derived from Uphapee Creek from which the holotype was collected. The word Uphapee’s origin (alternative spellings Euphapee or Euphaube) is traditionally attributed to the Muskogean language family and may derive from the word nofapi (Hitchiti dialect) which means beech tree (Bright 2004). We assign the common name Jade Darter to this subspecies, as jade is a green-colored rock and its appearance can be likened to that of E. r. uphapeense.