GANOIDEI OR GANOIDS. 



263 



SUB-SECTION V. 

 THE OKDER OF GANOIDEI OR GANOIDS. 



THE name of this group comes from the Greek word 

 ganos, meaning brightness or splendor, and was given to 

 the fishes of this order by Agassiz, on account of their 

 hard shining plates or scales. The Ganoids include the 



FIG. 308. 



Gar-pike, Lepidosteus. 



Gar-pikes or Lepidosteidse and their near allies, and the 

 Sturgeons or Sturionidae. The former are covered with 



FIG. 309. 



Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrliynchus, Mitchell. 



hard enameled scales, and the latter are protected by 

 bony plates, as seen in Fig. 309. 



Sturgeons inhabit great rivers which empty directly 

 into the sea, and they swim close to the bottom, turning 

 up the mud and sand with their snout, and feeding on the 

 animal and vegetable substances which they find by the 

 aid of their feelers. The} 7 are thus real scavengers that 

 perform a most useful work in ridding the bottom of the 



