112 ICHTHYOLOGIA OHIENSIS 



the foregoing, having nine abdominal rays, but an 

 unequal bilobed tail. 



55th Species. Brown Buffalo-fish. Catostomus 

 bubal us. Catostome bubale. 



Diameter one fifth of the total length ; olivaceous 

 brown, pale beneath, fins blackish, pectoral fins 

 brown and short: head sloping, snout rounded, 

 cheeks whitish : lateral line straight, dorsal fin nar- 

 row with 28 equal rays, anal trapezoidal with 12 rays. 



One of the finest fishes of the Ohio, common also 

 in the Mississippi, Missouri, and their tributary 

 streams. It is called every where Buffalo-fish, and 

 Piconeau, by the French settlers of Louisiana. I 

 had called it Amblodon bubal us in my 70 N. G. of 

 American Animals, having been misled by the com- 

 mon mistake which ascribed to it the teeth of the 

 Amblodon grunni- [II. 400, i.e., 302] ens-, but it is a real 

 Catostomus, without any such teeth. Length from 

 two to three feet ; some have been taken weighing 

 thirty pounds and upwards. It is commonly taken 

 with the dart at night when asleep, or in the seine ; 

 it does not readily bite at the hook. It feeds on 

 smaller fishes and shells, and often goes in shoals. 

 It retires into deep water in the winter, yet is some- 

 times taken even then. It comes as far as Pittsburgh. 

 Its flesh [5(5] is pretty good but soft. Scales rather 

 large. Tail with 24 rays and two equal rounded 

 lobes. Iris gilt brown, eyes small. Pectoral fins 

 with 16 rays. Dorsal fins shallow and even begin- 

 ning just before the abdominal fins, and ending at 

 the base of the anal fin. 



56th Species. Black Buffalo-fish. Catostomus 

 niger. Catostome noir. 



Entirely black, lateral line straight. 



