72 FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



elongate, sometimes much compressed, sometimes nearly cylindrical. The head 

 is usually conical, with mouth inferior, protractile, fleshy-lipped, and without 

 teeth in the jaws. The margin of the upper jaw is formed in part by the maxil- 

 lary bones and in part by the premaxillaries. There are 4 gill-arches; the gill- 

 membranes are joined to the isthmus; the branchiostegals number 3; and pseudo- 

 branchiiE are present. The lower pharyngeal bones are sickle-shaped and sur- 

 mounted by a single row of coarse teeth. The cycloid scales are either large or 

 small; no scales appear on the head. All the fins are well developed; the dorsal 

 is comparatively long, the anal short, the caudal large and usually forked. The 

 large air-bladder is divided by transverse constrictions. The suckers are medium- 

 sized fishes, normally found only in fresh water, ascending streams and brooks in 

 spring to spawn. Their feeding hal^its are determined by their peculiar mouth, 

 the pharyngeal teeth acting as grinders. Their food consists of animals (insects 

 and other small aquatic forms) and also mud, which is doubtless ingested for the 

 animal matter it contains; food articles are taken into the mouth by suction. 

 In some species the males in spring acquire red or black pigment on body or fins, 

 and develop tubercles on head, body, and fins. 



North Carolina has more species of suckers than any other state, and more 

 species described from and peculiar to it than any other state. Most of the 

 suckers peculiar to the state were described by Professor Cope in 1870 from the 

 Allegheny region, and some of them have not been met with since that time. 

 While some of those now recognized as valid will doubtless be excluded' when 

 further information regarding them is obtained, in the present state of our 

 knowledge they must be retained as distinct species. 



While abundant and caught in large numbers in North Carolina, the suckers 

 are of less value commercially than they are for home consumption, especially in 

 the upper courses of the streams, where they furnish a not insignificant part of the 

 food of the people at times, being the principal food fishes of the upland streams. 

 The quantity of suckers marketed and the price received therefor by the fisher- 

 men are here given for three years: 1890 — 60,550 pounds, $1,779; 1897 — 

 135,230 pounds, $3,037; 1902—169,350 pounds, $7,874. 



Key to the North Carolina genera of suckers. 



i. Air-bladder constricted into 2 parts. 



a. Lateral line complete and continuous; scales small Catostomus. 



aa. Lateral line interrupted or wanting; scales large. 



b. Lateral line entirely wanting; fish small Erimyzon. 



bb. Lateral line more or less developed; fish larger Minytrema. 



ii. Air-bladder constricted into 3 parts. 



c. Pharyngeal teeth flattened; mouth moderate or small; lips usually folded. . Moxostoma. 

 cc. Pharyngeal teeth enlarged, cylindrical; mouth large; Hps thick Placopharynx. 



Genus CATOSTOMUS LeSueur. Fine-scaled Suckers. 



Common fishes peculiar to the United States, with the exception of one 

 species found in Siberia. The mouth, on the under side of head, "has a thick 

 upper lip covered with papillae, and a very large lower lip with a broad 

 margin; the small eye is placed rather high on the side of the head; the dorsal 



