354 



ZOOLOGY 



Catfishes, 

 suckers, and 

 minnows 



eggs, which give rise to the peculiar larvae, look- 

 ing something like an Amphioxus, but with a 

 well-formed head and large eyes. 

 (c) Ostariophysi. A series of orders, in which the 

 anterior vertebras are enlarged and modified, 

 and through them a series of small bones con- 

 nects the air bladder with the ear. It seems that 

 the air bladder thus becomes an organ of hear- 

 ing. The great majority of fresh-water fishes 

 belong to this series ; only a few (certain cat- 

 fishes) enter the sea. The catfishes are quite 

 without scales, and are noteworthy for their 

 long barbels, slender appendages in the region 

 of the mouth. The scaly Ostariophysi common 

 in this country are the suckers (Catostomidce) 

 and the carps and minnows (Cyprinida). The 

 suckers may usually be recognized by the long 

 dorsal fin and the presence of both basal and 

 apical radii on the scales. The carp family is a 

 very large one, with numerous small species, 

 commonly known as "minnows" in the 



Photograph from Am. Mus. Natural History 

 FIG. 136. Common bullhead or catfish. 



