VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 259 



AMIIDtE. 



MUD FISH; DOG-FISH; BOW-FIX; GRIXDLE ; "JOHN A. GRINDLE;" 

 LAWYER. Amia calva, L. 



ORDER GINGLYMODI. GAR-PIKES. 



TliG Gar-Pikes resemble the Amias, and with them form the sub-class 

 Holostei or Bony Ganoids. The tail is heterocercal ; the vertebrae are 

 concave only in front. The jaws are elongate, the upper being the longer. 

 The body is covered with rhombic plates. 



LEPIDOSTEID^E. 



LONG-NOSED GAR ; BILL-FISH; COMMON GAR PIKE. Lepidosteus osseus, 



(L.) Agassi z, 

 SHORT-NOSED GAR. Sepidosteus platystomus, Raf. 



SUB-CLASS CHRONDROSTEI. 

 ORDER GLANIOSTOMI. STURGEONS. 



An order of ganoid fishes possessing an elongated body covered with 

 five rows of bony scales or shields. There are four barbels under the 

 mouth, which is toothless and opens directly downward. The tail is 

 heterocercal. 



A small order of peculiar and readily recognizable fishes, usually of 

 large size, and mostly inhabiting fresh waters northward. A few spe- 

 cies are marine. The eggs of these animals furnish the well-known 

 caviare, a food product more extensively eaten in Europe than in 

 America. 



ACIPENSERIDiE. 



SHARP-NOSED STURGEON. Acipenser oxyrhyncus, Mitch. 

 SHORT-NOSED STURGEON. Acipenser brevirostris, LeSueur. 



