Vol. III. 



JULY, 1894. 



Copyright 1894. All Rights Reserved. 



Xo. 32. 



DENOMINATIVE CHARACTER- 

 ISTICS OF FRESH WATER 

 FISHES. 

 VI. 



THE SUCKERS. 

 ( Catostomidae. ) 



These fish, though forming a distinct 

 family, are very closely related to the 

 carp-family, and with two or three ex- 

 ceptions that are found in China and 

 Japan, are exclusively of American na- 

 tivity. 



The head is naked ; the mouth, which 

 is underneath, is toothless. The lips 

 are fleshy, extremely protractive, and 

 when fully produced form a tube ; 

 through this the fish "sucks" its food, 

 hence the name for the family. The 

 mouth is not supplied with barbies. 

 The scales upon the body are of uniform 

 size. The dorsal fin is short in some spe- 

 cies, while in others it extends from the 

 middle of the body almost to- the tail, 

 but in all cases it consists of soft rays. 

 The caudal fin (tail) is slightly forked. 

 The air bladder is divided in two, and 

 in some species three parts. Their 

 spawning season is in the spring of the 

 year. 



THE WHITE SUCKER. 



(Catostomus teres.) 

 This is the most common species, 

 being found in the creeks, rivers and 

 lakes, all over the United States, though 

 it is nowhere esteemed as a food fish, the 

 flesh being without flavor and literally 

 filled with little bones. The body is 

 long and cylindrical ; the color on the 

 back is olivaceous, silvery on the sides 

 and belly. The coloring and size of the 

 fish varies in dift'erent localities, attain- 

 ing in some instances a length of 18 

 inches. 



THE STONE-LUGGER. 



{ Hyj)entelium nigricans. ) 

 This species is also known as the 

 Brown, Mud or Spotted Sucker. The 

 head is rather large and blunt, the eyes 

 small and are set very high ujd and far 

 back. The body is long and carries 

 very large fins. The back and sides are 

 beautifully marbled, or blotched, with 

 different shades of brown, producing an 

 interesting effect in contrast with the 

 white belly. It grows to a length of 

 about twelve inches, and frequents 

 swiftly running creeks, where it is gen- 

 erally found under the stones. The fiesh 

 is soft, the bones too small and numer- 



