Southeast African cheetah of this alternative coat pattern was found to be a mutation in the gene for transmembrane aminopeptidase Q ("Taqpep"), the same gene responsible for the striped "mackerel" versus blotched "classic" patterning seen in tabby cats. The cheetah also has melanism as one of its rare color morphs. A melanistic cheetah in Zambia was seen by Vesey Fitzgerald in the company of a spotted cheetah. The cheetah is a medium-sized cat. An adult male cheetah's total size can measure from and for females. Adult cheetahs are tall at the shoulder. Males are slightly taller than females and have slightly bigger heads
Spotted bass body of a smallmouth bass. The spotted bass also has small black spots below the lateral line unlike either the large or smallmouth bass. Juveniles often resemble the young of smallmouth bass in having a broad band of orange at the base of the tail, followed by a broad black band and white edge. The spotted bass is known to hybridize with the smallmouth, which sometimes makes identification difficult. Spotted bass can be found deeper than smallmouth bass at depths up to 100 ft. Spotted bass seem to segregated by habitat type from closely related species such as the large