292 FISHES. 



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

 into some eastern rivers. 



FAMILY CIX. CATOSTOMID^E. 



(TJie 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 ten, Pantosteus, Cope, and the following; 

 species about fifty, abounding everywhere east of the 

 Rocky Mountains ; two or three occur in China and 

 Japan, all the rest are North American. 



* Dorsal moderate, of 11 to 20 rays ; size rarely large ; Suckers. 



(CATOSTOMIISLE.) 

 \ Air bladder in two parts. 

 \ Lateral line well developed ; lips papillose. 

 a. Scales much smaller anteriorly than posteriorly; inter- 

 orbital space convex ; body sub-terete. CATOSTOMUS, 1. 

 aa. Scales about as large on front part of body as on tail ; 

 body tapering rapidly from shoulders to tail ; inter- 

 orbital space concave; length of head greater than 

 depth of body ; young barred or variegated. 



HYPENTELIUM, 2. 



\\ No lateral line ; lips usually plicate. . ERIMYZON, 3. 

 ft Air bladder in three parts ; lips usually plicate ; lateral line 



very distinct. 



b. Pharyngeal teeth numerous and all small, of the usual type ; 

 the bones slender. . . . MOXOSTOMA, 4. 



