CHAPTER III 



THE STURGEON 



Appearance Habits. 



First Sub-Class . PAIJEICHTHYES : ARCHAIC FISHES 



Second Order . . Ganoidei: Ganoid Fishes 

 Fourth Sub-Order CHONDROSTEI : GRISTLY FISHES 



THE sub-class Pal<eichthyes, as its title implies, embraces 

 the most ancient types of fish known. It stands, says 

 Dr. Gunther, in similar relation to the Teleostei, or Bony- 

 framed Fishes, as the marsupials do to placental mammals. 

 It is divided into two orders the Chondropterygii, or Gristly- 

 finned Fishes, consisting of the sharks and rays, and the 

 Ganoidei y or Ganoid Fishes, to which belongs the only indi- 

 vidual in the sub-class frequenting British fresh waters. The 

 fourth sub-order in this sub-class is named Chondrostei^ or 

 Gristly Fishes, and this again is divided into two families 

 the tAcipenseridtf) or Sturgeon Family, and the Polyodontid<e, 

 or Many-toothed Family. 



ACIPENSERID^E: THE STURGEON FAMILY 



Although inferior in rank of organisation to the < Teleostei y 

 or Bony Fishes, the Sturgeons may claim the first place in 

 the list of British fresh-water fish, not merely because they 

 exceed all others in size might gives no right in classifica- 

 tion but because of the position of their family and order 



