B. 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE FAMILY CATOSTOMID,E. 



BY DAVID S. JORDAN. 



CLASS PISCES. 



SUBCLASS- TELEOSTEI. 



OKDER TELEOCEPHALL 



SUBORDER EVEXTOGXATHI. 

 FAMILY CATOSTOMIDJE. 



Catostomoidce GILL, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. PhiJa. v. 13, p. 8, 1861. 

 Catostomidce COPE, Pixc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci. v. 20, p. 332,* 1872. 

 Catostomidce JORDAN, Man. Vert. E. U. S. p. 292, 1876. 



Cyprinidce gen. RAFIXESQUE, Risso, CUVIER, BONAPARTE, GIRARD, BIJKEKER. 

 Cyprinidce snbfam. HECKEL, AGASSIZ, BLEEKER, GUNTHER. 



The family of Catostomidce, or the u Suckers", may be briefly defined 

 as follows : Ei'tniognailwus fishes, having the pharyngeal teeth pecti- 

 niform, in a single row, closely approximated, very numerous, and 

 compressed at right angles to the direction of the bone, and the in term ax - 

 illaries forming but a small part, of the upper arch of the mouth, the 

 maxillaries entering into it largely on each side.* 



* The following more elaborate diagnosis is given by Professor Gill (Johnson's Uni^ 

 versal Cyclopaedia, vol. iv, p. 1574) : " The body varies between an elongated subcylin- 

 drical and au oblong more or less compressed contour; the scales are of medinui or 

 rather large size, cycloid ; the lateral line is generally present and decurved, but some- 

 Bull, y. M. No. 127 97 



