A SYNOPSIS OF THE FAMILY CATOSTOMIDvE. 



Bv David S. Jokdan. 



Class PISCES. 



Subclass TELEOSTEI. 



Order TELEOCErHALL 



Suborder EVENTOGNATHl. 

 Family CATOSTOMID^. 



Catostomoidw Gili-, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phila. v. lo, p. 8, 18G1. 

 CatosfomidcB Cope, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci. v. 20, p. 332, 1H72. 

 Catostnmida'. Johdax, Man. Vert. E. U. S. p. 292, 1876. 



Cyprinidai gen. Kai ixesque, Risso, Cuvier, Boxapaijte, Giraud, Bi,kk,ker. 

 Cyprinidce subfam. Heckel, Agassiz, Blkeker, Guntiier. 



The family of Catostomidcc, or the "Suckers", may be biieliy defined 

 as follows: — Eveniognathous ^shes, having the pharyngeal teeth pecti- 

 niform, iu a single row, closely approximated, very numerous, and 

 c'ompres.sed at right angles to the direction of the bone, and the intermax- 

 illaries forming but a small part of the upper arch of the mouth, the 

 maxillaries entering into it largely on each side.* 



* The following more elaborate diagnosis is given by Professor Gill (Johnson's Uni- 

 versal Cyclopaedia, vol. iv, p. 15T4) : — " The body varies between an elongated subcylin- 

 drical and an oblong more or less compressed contour; the scales are of nicdiiiiii or 

 rather largo size, cycloid ; the lateral line is genet ally present and decurved, but some- 

 BuU. K M. No. 12—7 97 



