FAMILY CYPRINID.Z — CATOSTOMUS. 199 
THE HORNED SUCKER. 
CaTosTOMUS TUBERCULATUS. 
PLATE XXXI. FIG. 97. 
Catostomus tuberculatus. Lesurur, Jour, Acad. Nat. Se. Vol. 1, p. 93s 
C. tuberculatus, The Horned Sucker. STORER, Massachusetts Report, p. 85. 
Characteristics. Body short and thick. Caudal lunate. Three to five tubercles on each side 
of the snout. Length seven to nine inches. 
Description. Body robust, cylindrical. Dorsal outline gibbous, terminating abruptly on 
the nape. Upper part of the head declivous, nearly straight. Scales large, radiated, with 
deep concentric undulations interrupted by the stria. Lateral line very indistinct. Head 
smooth. Between the eyes and the snout, on each side, from three to five tubercles. In the 
specimen before me, there are but three, subequal: one immediately anterior to the eye ; 
another 0°2 distant, nearly on the same plane, and towards the margin of the upper lip; the 
third near the angle of the mouth. These tubercles are smooth, 0°2 high, terminating in a 
blunt point, somewhat recurved, with a broad dilated base. Eyes small. Nostrils double, 
with a small filamentous strip. Snout blunt. Mouth small, lunate. Lower lip carunculate. 
Air-bladder single. 
The dorsal fin subquadrangular, rather longer than high, arising rather nearer the snout 
than the base of the caudal fin; the first ray simple, subspinous. Pectorals placed very low, 
and rounded. Ventrals under the middle of the dorsal. Anal robust, emarginate ; the 
third, fourth and fifth much longer than the others. Caudal lunate; the lobes unequal. 
Color. Head dark olive-green. Back and sides of the body green, with purple and golden 
reflections. Sides tinged with yellow. Abdomen yellowish, with a faint flesh-color. Anal 
fin dark blackish-brown ; the caudal rather lighter ; the remaining fins light olivaceous. Base 
of the pectorals flesh-colored. 
Length, 9°0. Depth, 2°9. 
Bin tays, D: 153P. 165. V.85 A. 10s, C19" 2. 
The Horned Sucker is common in most of the fresh-water streams of this State, and is 
also found in New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New-Jersey and Pennsylvania. 
I am not acquainted with its westerly or southerly distribution. It is known under the various 
popular names of Barbel, Dace, and Horned Dace. It is considered by many as well tasted. 
It is readily taken with the hook, and begins to bite in this State about the middle of April. 
It was first described by Lesueur, from a specimen five inches long, which is rather less than 
the average size. Dr. Storer has described a specimen fourteen inches long, which is unusu- 
ally large. The uses of the tubercles are not very apparent. Lesueur is inclined to the 
opinion that they may be a sexual distinction, but this has not been confirmed by my obser- 
vations. 
