172 



Series Ostariophysi 



occur in Cuba nor in any of the neighboring islands. The 

 majority of the genera are restricted to the region east of the 

 Rocky Mountains, although species of Catostomus, Chasmistes, 

 Deltistes, Xyrauchen, and Pantosteus are found in abundance 

 in the Great Basin and the Pacific slope. 



In size the suckers range from six inches in length to about 

 three feet. As food-fishes they are held in low esteem, the flesh 

 of all being flavorless and excessively full of small bones. Most 

 of them are sluggish fishes; they inhabit all sorts of streams, 

 lakes, and ponds, but even when in mountain brooks they 

 gather in the eddies and places of greatest depth and least 

 current. They feed on insects and small aquatic animals, 

 and also on mud, taking in their food by suction. They are not 

 very tenacious of life. Most of the species swarm in the spring 

 in shallow waters. In the spawning season they migrate up 

 smaller streams than those otherwise inhabited by them. The 



FIG. 134. Creekfish or Chub-sucker, Erimyzon sucetta (Lacp4de). Nipisink 

 Lake, Illinois. Family Catostomidce. 



large species move from the large rivers into smaller ones; the 

 small brook species go into smaller brooks. In some cases 

 the males in spring develop black or red pigment on the body 

 or fins, and in many cases tubercles similar to those found in 

 the Cyprinidaz appear on the head, body, and anal and caudal 

 fins. 



The buffalo-fishes and carp-suckers, constituting the genera 

 Ictiobus and Carpiodes, are the largest of the Catostomida, and 



