FISHES OF PENNSYLVANIA. 23 
much produced, as long as dorsal base and almost equal to depth of body; the pos- 
terior rays low. Caudal large, deeply forked. D. 24 (developed rays); A. 8 or 9; 
V. 9; scales 6-35-7. The scales are large and about equal in size all over the body. 
Described from No. 26,274, United States National Museum, nine and one-half 
inches long, from Alabama. 
The deformed carp sucker occurs in the Ohio valley. Prof. Cope re- 
cords it from the Ohio river. Dr. Jordan reports it from the Wabash 
and the lower Ohio. 
This singular species may be recognized by the great bluntness of 
its head and by the dorsal fin beginning in front of the middle of the 
body. It.is not a common fish and its size is small, the maximum length 
being about one foot. It is too rare to be of any commercial importance 
even if its size werelarger. Itshabits are similar to those of other mem- 
bers of its genus. 
28. Ictiobus velifer (Rarrnesque). 
The Sail Fish. 
The sail-fish has an oblong body with the back much arched ; head sub-conic, broad 
between the eyes. The depth of the body almost equal to one-third of the length 
with tail; the head is one-fourth of the standard length. The rather large eye is as 
long as snout, more than one-fourth length of head. Thesnout projects beyond the 
mouth, which issmall. Jips rather thick, papillose. Gill rakers very numerous, 
long and slender. The dorsal fin commences over the tenth scale of the lateral 
line, its first three rays very high, equal to length of dorsal base, or four times length 
of short rays, which are most numerous. The very short anal is placed opposite end 
of dorsal, the length of its base less than one-half that of head; its longest ray 
equal to twice the length of its base. The pectorals are short and placed low on 
body. The ventrals reach vent. Caudal deeply forked with slender lobes, the 
upper the longer. Scales large, striated. Lateral line straight, slightly below mid- 
dle of body. D. 26; A.8; V.10. Scales, 6-36-5. 
Common names of this species include the following: Quill-back, 
skim-back, sail fish, spear fish, carp sucker and sailing sucker. In some 
localities it is called river carp. 
In Pennsylvania, according to Prof. Cope, this species of quill-back 
is found only in the Ohio river and its tributaries. It is extremely com- 
mon in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, and occurs, also, in the great 
lakes and lakes of western New York. ; 
The quill-back reaches a length of one foot, and is not an important 
food fish. The majority of the common names are bestowed with refer- 
ence to the very high anterior part of the dorsal fin. 
The food of this fish includes small mollusks, insect larve, crustaceans 
and aquatic plants. Prof. Forbes finds that worms and protozoans are 
rarely present in the stomachs of this species. The amount of vegeta- 
tion eaten is rather small, and it is much mingled with mud. The mol- 
lusk most commonly found is a thin-shelled Spherium. 
