690 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Mass. this sucker is rare. There is in the U. S. National Museum 

 an individual from that locality. Storer again describes the 

 species in his History of the Fishes of Massachusetts, 1867, and 

 gives a figure of it. De Kay refers to this description on page 

 309 of his New York Fauna. He regards this fish as one of the 

 extralimital species. Goode and Bean in 1879 recorded it as a 

 parasite of the swordflsh, which not infrequently accompanies 

 that species into Massachusetts bay. They had also seen speci- 

 mens from Newfoundland. 



Genus rhombochirus Gill 

 This genus agrees with Remora in every respect excepting the 

 structure of the pectoral fins. These are short and broad, rhom- 

 bic in outline, the rays all flat, broad and stiff, being partially 

 ossified, though showing the usual articulations; upper rays of 

 pectoral broader than the others. One species known. 



343 Rhombochirus osteochir (Cuvier) 

 Spearfish Sucker 



Echeneis osteocMr Cuvier, Regne Anim. ed. 2, II, 348, 1829; Gunther, Cat.' 

 Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 381, 1860; Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. 418, 1883. 



RJiombochirus osteocMr Jordan & Evermann, Check-List Fish. N. A. 490, 

 1896; H. M. Smith, Bull. U. S. F. C. 1897, 106, 1898; Jordan & Ever- 

 mann, Bull. 47, U. S. Nat. Mus. Ill, 2273, 1898; IV, pi. OCCXXX, fig. 

 798, 1900. 



The length of the body is four and two thirds times the length 

 of the head, two and one fourth times the length of the disk and 

 five times the width between the pectorals; mouth very small, 

 maxillary not reaching to the line of orbit; disk very large, 

 broader and rougher than in Echeneis remora, extending 

 forward beyond tip of snout; caudal fin emarginate, with 

 rounded angles. D. XVIII-21 to 23; A. 20; P. 20. 



Light brown; under side of head, ventral line, part of ventrals 

 and a spot on pectorals pale. 



This small species inhabits the West Indies and ranges north- 

 ward occasionally to Cape Cod. It is parasitic on the species 

 of spearfish, and is rather rare. It was recorded at Woods Hole 

 Mass. by Prof. Baird in 1871. According to Dr Smith, a speci- 

 men was taken Aug. 6, 1886, in a fish trap at Quissett harbor, 

 near Woods Hole. 



