3 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



The body is oblong or moderately elongated, compressed or subcylindrical, 

 and covered with conspicuous scales of various size.* 



The barbels vary in number from two to four, and in numerous genera are 

 even entirely absent. The pectoral fins have broad vertical bases inserted in 

 the usual manner on the sides above the breast ; they have each a simple ray. 

 The dorsal and anal fins are either with or without spines, which themselves 

 are either simple or dentated. The pharyngeal bones have one constant row 

 of normally five teeth, or occasionally four, and often one or two supplemen- 

 tary rows of from one to three smaller teeth. The branchial apertures are of 

 moderate size, and separated from each other by an isthmus of little or mod- 

 erate width. 



The Cyprinoids, as limited above, form a very natural and homogeneous 

 group ; its genera have not yet been satisfactorily divided among subfamilies, 

 nor have even the genera been naturally approximated to each other. The 

 distribution of the species is almost world-wide, South America being the only 

 continent in which they are not found. 



Family IV. CATASTOMOID^I Gill. 



Synonymy. 



Catastominse Heckel. 



Catastomini Bleeker, Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indie, vol. 



xx. p. 427 (stirps.) 

 Catastomus Lestieur, Journal of Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 



vol. i. (genus.) 

 The body is moderately elongated and subcylindrical, or oblong and com- 

 pressed, covered by conspicuous scales. The mouth is always concealed from 

 above by the protuberant snout, and surrounded by fleshy lips. There are no 

 barbels. The pectoral fins have their vertical bases inserted in the usual man- 

 ner on the sides above the breast. The pharyngeal bones have numerous 

 teeth closely approximated, like those of a comb, in a single row, and com- 

 pressed at right angles to the bone. The branchial apertures are moderate, 

 and separated by the isthmus. 



The Catostomi have some external and anatomical characters peculiar to 

 themselves and distinguishing them from the other families of this suborder. 

 They are, therefore, now regarded as forming a distinct family. They appear 

 to be peculiar to North America. A species of Cyprinoid from Siberia has been 

 described by Tilesius, which has been generally referred to the genus Catostomus, 

 but it is too little known to positively refer it to any known genus. As, how- 

 ever, there are arctic species of the family, the Tilesian species may quite pos- 

 sibly be a true member of the group. 



The family of Catastomoids may be divided into three subfamilies, chiefly 

 characterized by the form of the body and the comparative form and length of 

 the dorsal and anal fins. 



The Catastominse have an oblong or moderately elongated and anteriorly 

 subcylindrical body ; the dorsal fin subcentral and nearer the snout than the 

 margin of the caudal fin ; it is short and subquadrate, with from eleven (3,8) 

 to sixteen (3,13) rays. The ventral fins are under the anterior, median or pos- 

 terior parts of that fin. The anal fin high and short, placed nearer the base of 

 the caudal tban of the ventral fins. 



The Cycleptime are characterized by the elongated body, which is subcylin- 

 drical before, and by an elongated and falciform dorsal fin commencing over 

 the interval between the pectoral and ventral fins, and extending as far back 

 as the beginning of the anal fin. 



* The genera Aulopyge of Heckel, Phoxinellus of Heckel and Meda of Girard are desti- 

 tute of scales. 



[Jan. 



