30. CATOSTOMIDiE ERIMYZOX. 133 



somewhat inferior ; the upper lip well developed, freely protractile; the 

 lower moderate, infolded, /y-shai)ed in outline, plicate, with 12-20 plicfc 

 on each side. Lower jaw without cartilaginous sheath, rather strouj]^er 

 than usual, and oblique in i)osition when the mouth is closed, thus simi- 

 lar to the mouth of Ictiohxis. E^^e moderate, rather high up, i^laced 

 about midway of the head. Suborbital bones considerably developed, 

 not very much narrower than the Heshy portion of the check below 

 them ; the posterior suborbital concavo-convex, about twice as long as 

 deep, sometimes divided ; the anterior somewhat deeper than long, some- 

 times divided into two, sometimes united with the preorbital bone, which 

 is well developed, and much longer than broad. Opercular bones mod- 

 erately' developed, scarcely or not rugose. Fontanelle rather large. 

 Gill -rakers rather long. Isthmus moderate. Pharyngeal bones weak ; 

 the teeth quite small, slender, and weak, rapidlj- diminishing in 

 length upwards, each tooth narrowly compressed, with a cusp on the 

 inner margin of the cutting surface, and some inequalities besides. 

 Scales rather large, more or less crowded forwards, sometimes showing 

 irregularities of arrangement ; the longitudinal radiating furrows nuich 

 stronger than usual j the scales rather longer than deep, but so imbri- 

 cated in the adult that the exi)osed surfaces ajipear deeper than long. 

 Lateral line entirely wanting. Scales in the longitudinal series from 

 head to base of caudal 35-45 in number ; scales in transverse row from 

 base of ventral to dorsal 12-18. Dorsal fin rather short and high, with 

 10-14 developed rays, the number usuallj' 11 or 12. Beginning of dor- 

 sal fin rather nearer snout than base of caudal. Pectoral fins mod- 

 erate, not reaching ventrals ; the latter not to vent. Ventrals under 

 a point rather in advance of the middle of dorsal ; their rays normally 

 1>, but occasionally 8 or 10. Anal fin high and short, more or less 

 emarginate or bilobed in adult males. Caudal fin moderately forked 

 or merely lunate, its two lobes about equal. Air-bladder with two 

 chambers. Two species known, {ipt^ an intensive particle ; /iwCw, to 

 suck.) 



119. E. succlla (Lac.) Jordan. — Creelc Fish; Chuh SucJccr. 



Body oblong, compressed, becoming gibbous with age, the ante-dorsal 

 region more or less elevated in the adults, the depth 3} in length, ranging 

 from 2=^ in adults to 4 in young. Uead stout, short, about 4^ in length 

 (4-4^), the interorbital space wide and depressed, the lower parts nar- 

 rower. Eye not large, 4;^ in head (45-5i). Mouth ])rotractile downwards 

 and forwards, the mandible oblique. Scales usually closely imbricated 



