FAMILY CYPRINID^ — CATOSTOMUS. 199 



THE HORNED SUCKER. 



Catostomus tubercclatds. 



PLATE XXXI. no. 97. 



Calostomits tuberculatus. LesuepR, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sc, Vol. 1, p. 93. 



C. tvhercvlatus. The Homed Sucker. Stoker, Massachusetts Report, p. 85. 



Characteristics. Body short and thick. Caudal lunate. Three to five tubercles on each side 

 of the snout. Length seven to nine inches. 



Description. Body robust, cylindrical. Dorsal outline gibbous, terminating abruptly on 

 the nape. Upper part of the head declivous, nearly straight. Scales large, radiated, with 

 deep concentric undulations interrupted by the striffi. Lateral line very indistinct. Head 

 smooth. Between the eyes and the snout, on each side, from three to five tubercles. In the 

 specimen before me, there arc but three, subequal : one immediately anterior to the eye ; 

 another 0"2 distant, nearly on the same plane, and towards the margin of the upper lip ; the 

 third near the angle of the mouth. These tubercles are smooth, 0"2 high, terminating in a 

 blunt point, somewhat recurved, with a broad dilated base. Eyes small. Nostrils double, 

 with a small filamentous strip. Snout blunt. Mouth small, lunate. Lower lip carunculate. 

 Air-bladder single. 



Tlie dorsal fin subquadrangular, rather longer than high, arising rather nearer the snout 

 than the base of the caudal fin ; the first ray simple, subspinous. Pectorals placed very low, 

 and rounded. Ventrals imder the middle of the dorsal. Anal robust, emarginate ; the 

 third, fourth and fifth much longer than the others. Caudal lunate ; the lobes unequal. 



Color. Head dark olive-green. Back and sides of the body green, with purple and golden 

 reflections. Sides tinged with yellow. Abdomen yellowish, with a faint flesh-color. Anal 

 fin dark blackish-brown ; the caudal rather lighter ; the remaining fins light olivaceous. Base 

 of the pectorals flesh-colored. 



Length, 9-0. Depth, 2-9. 



Fin rays, D. 15 ; P. 16 ; V. 8 ; A. 10 ; C. 19 |. 



The Horned Sucker is common in most of the fresh-water streams of this State, and is 

 also found in New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New-Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

 I am not acquainted with its westerly or southerly distribution. It is known under the various 

 popular names of Barbel, Dace, and Horned Dace. It is considered by many as well tasted. 

 It is readily taken with the hook, and begins to bite in this State about the middle of April. 

 It was first described by Lesueur, from a specimen five inches long, which is rather less than 

 the average size. Dr. Storer has described a specimen fourteen inches long, which is unusu- 

 ally large. The uses of the tubercles are not very apparent. Lesueur is inclined to the 

 opinion that they may be a sexual distinction, but this has not been confirmed by my obser- 

 vations. 



