CATOSTOMID^. — CIX. 309 ■ 



25. CYPRINUS, Linnaeus. Carps. 

 1. C. carpio, L. European Carp. Olivaceous; 

 D. Ill, 20; A. Ill, 5; lat. 1. 37. European, introduced 

 into some eastern rivers. 



FAMILY CIX.-CATOSTOMID^. 



{The Suckers.) 

 Cyprinoid fishes of medium or large size, with the 

 pharyngeal teeth in a single series, very numerous and 

 closely set; intermaxillaries forming but a small part of 

 the upper arch of the mouth, the maxillaries entering 

 into it extensively on each side; mouth toothless, with 

 fleshy lips, extremely protractile, roundish when fully 

 protruded; dorsal fin long; anal short and rather high; 

 no barbels; scales large; head naked; air bladder large, 

 divided into two or three parts by transverse constric- 

 tions. Genera twelve, JPantosteus, Cope, and the follow- 

 ing; species about fifty, abounding every where north 

 of Mexico; one genus {^Myxocyprmiis) occurs in China, 

 and a species of Ca^os^omws in Siberia; all the rest are 

 North American. 



* Body oblong or elongate, with a short, sub-quadrate dorsal fin 

 of 10 to 17 developed rays ; anal rays uniformly 7. (Catosto- 

 mince.) 



f Mouth singular; the upper lip not protractile, greatly 

 enlarged; the lower lip developed as two separate lobes; 

 the lower jaw provided with a sheath 



a. Air bladder in three parts ; scales large, sub-equal ; pharyn- 

 geal bones and teeth ordinary ; fontanelle well developed ; 

 lateral line present Quassilabia, 1. 



•J-j- Mouth normal, the lower lip undivided or merely lobed — 

 either tuberculate or plicate. 



&. Air bladder in three parts ; lateral line present ; fontanelle 

 present; scales large, sub-equal; ventral rays normally, 

 but not constantly, 9. 



