76 



FISHES OF NORTH CAROLINA. 



where the fish is called " black winter sucker". The U. S. National Museum has 

 four specimens from Neuse River at Kinston, collected by J. W. Milner in 1875, 

 and another from Cape Fear River collected by Marshall McDonald in 1880. 

 The fish reaches a length of 18 inches. 



Fig. 23. Spotted Sucker. Mimjtrema melanops. 



Genus MOXOSTOMA Rafinesque. Red-horses. 



A numerous genus of large-sized suckers found all over the United States 



east of Rocky Mountains. The elongate body is more or less compressed and the 



back elevated; size of head, mouth, and eye variable; lips well developed, with 



transverse folds; gill-rakers long and weak; scales large; dorsal fin rather long 



and high, in about middle of body; anal fin short and high; caudal large and 



well forked. The genus is more numerously represented in North Carolina than 



in any other state, and some of the nominal species are difficult to distinguish 



and are perhaps not distinct. Following are some of the characters by which 



the species may be separated, according to Cope and Jordan & Evermann: 



Key to the North Carolina species of red-horses. 



i. Labial folds broken up into conspicuous papillae; mouth very small; snout projecting; dorsal 



rays 12 to 14 papillosum. 



a. Labial folds not. broken up into distinct papillae. 



a. Dorsal fin long, with 15 to 18 rays; lower lip v-shaped; mouth quite small. . .collapsum. 

 aa. Dorsal fin shorter, with 10 to 14 or 15 rays. 



b. Lower lip narrow, infolded, v-shaped, with distinct median crease in which the halves 



meet at an acute angle. 



c. Body elongate, subcylindrical, little compressed; snout truncate pidiense. 



cc. Body compressed, back elevated, muzzle projecting beyond very small mouth. 



coreaonus. 

 bb. Lower hp thin, forming a narrow, crescent-shaped border around mandible. 



d. Head small, .20 total length; snout prominent; dorsal rays 12 to 14 . . . .album, 

 dd. Head larger, .25 total length; snout not projecting; dorsal rays 14 or 15. 



thalassinum. 

 bbb. Lower lip full, truncate behind, not distinctly v-shaped or u-shaped. 



e. Dorsal fin moderate, rays usually 13 (12 to 14); body more or less compressed. 

 /. Lobes of caudal fin approximately the same length. 



g. Dorsal fin with free margin nearly straight; lower fins always red in life. 



h. Body elongate, back little elevated aureolum. 



hh. Body stout, back much elevated rohustum. 



gg. Dorsal fin with free margin concave; lower fins pale. 



