172 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY III. 



29. CATOSTOMUS OCCIDENTALIS Ayres. 



Western Sucker. 



1854 Catostomus occidentalis AYRES, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sc. i, 18. 



Catostomus occidentalis AGASSIZ, Am. Journ. Sc. Arts, 2d series, xix, 209, 1855. 



(Described as anew species.) 



Catostomus occidentalis GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phila. 174, 1856. 

 Catostomus occidentalis GIRARD, U. S. Pac. R. R. Expl. x, 224, 1858. 

 Catostomus occidentalis GUNTHER, Cat Fishes Brit. Mus. vii, 17, 1868. 

 Catostomus occidentalis JORDAN & COPELAND, Check List, 156, 1876. (Name 



only.) 

 1856? Catostomus bernardini GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phila. 175. 



f Catostomus bernardini GIRARD, U. S. Mex. Bound. Ichth. 40, pi. 23, f . 1-5, 1859. 

 f Catostomus bernardini GUNTHER, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. v. 7, 17, 1868. 



HABITAT. Streams west of the Rocky Mountains, probably generally distributed. 



This species was described almost simultaneously under the same 

 name by Dr. Ayres and Professor Agassiz. Since then it has been little 

 noticed by ichthyologists, and its distribution has remained uncertain. 

 The few specimens in the National Museum indicate, however, a wide 

 distribution. I have here united Catostomus bernardini Girard to C. 

 occidentalis. The single specimen made the type of C. bernardini is lost, 

 so that we can probably never know exactly for what the author in- 

 tended the name. The size of the dorsal and the form of the mouth as 

 given in Girard's figure indicate a species of Catostomus rather than 

 Pantosteus, and as I ain unable to distinguish it from (J. occidentalis, I 

 let it fall into the synonymy. The scales of C. bernardini as figured 

 seem, however, smaller than usual in C. occidentalis. 



C. occidentalis is apparently related to C. teres. but is distinguished 

 by the form of mouth and by the somewhat smaller scales. The species 

 is u brought to the market in San Francisco, and is said to be quite 

 common in the Sacramento and San Joaquiu Rivers." ( GIRARD.) 



Specimens in United States National Museum. 



