SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 77 



i. Head moderate; back not elevated macrolepidotum. 



ii. Head very short and blunt; back elevated crassilabre. 



if. Upper lobe of caudal fin more or less produced and falcate; headshort; snout much 



projecting; mouth small; fu'st dorsal rays produced convs. 



ee. Dorsal fin short, rays 10 to 1 2; body elongate, sub cylindrical or slightly compressed. 

 J. Scales 50 in lateral series, 18 before dorsal fin; color plain brownish, tips of dorsal 



and caudal fins dusky rupiscartes. 



jj. Scales 43 in lateral series, 15 before dorsal fin; series of streaks along sides, tips of 

 dorsal and caudal fins black cervinum. 



{Moxostoma, sucking-mouth.) 



46. MOXOSTOMA PAPILLOSUM (Oope). 

 "Red-horse"; "Shiner"; White Mullet. 



Ptychoatomus papHlosiis Cope, 18706, 470; Catawba and Yadkin rivera. Jordan, 1878, 134; North Carolina. 

 Moxostoma papillosum, Jordan, 18896, 125, 128, 131, 136; Tar, Neuse, Cape Fear, and Catawba rivers. Ever- 

 mann & Cox, 1896, 305; Neuse River near Raleigh. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 189. 



Diagnosis. — ^Body deeper than thick, dorsal outline not elevated, depth contained 4 to 

 4.5 times in total length; head elongate, not more than .25 total length; muzzle truncate in 

 profile, the upper lip hanging free, the lower deeply incised behind so as to be v-shaped; both 

 lips finely granular, not plicate; top of head flat; scales large, 42 in lengthwise series, 6+ 5 in 

 crosswise series; dorsal rays 12. Color: silvery white, except some blackish shades at the 

 bases of the scales of the dorsal region; fins in life pure white, {papillosum, fuU of papillse.) 



This sucker, which is one of the commonest species found in North Carolina, 

 ranges from the Dismal Swamp to Cape Fear River, and thence to Georgia. Dr. 

 Jordan reported it as common in Tar River near Rocky Mount; in Neuse River near 

 Raleigh; in Little River near Goldsboro; in Haw River near Greensboro; and in 

 Catawba River at Morgantown. Specimens from Neuse River at Kinston, 

 collected by J. W. Milner, are in the U. S. National Museum. 



According to Cope, in 1869 this species was quite abundant in the Catawba 

 and Yadkin rivers, and was highly valued by the inhabitants as an article of food, 

 being regarded as the best of the suckers. It was less frequently caught on a 

 hook than some other species, but in autumn it ran into the weirs in considerable 

 numbers. The fishermen of that section called it "shiner". The largest speci- 

 mens Cope found were only 1 foot long and weighed a pound; Jordan, however, 

 collected examples 18 inches long and weighing upwards of 3 pounds. 



47. MOXOSTOMA COLLAPSUM (Cope). 

 "Sucking Mullet"; Small-mouthed Red-horse. 



Plychostomus coUapaut Cope, 18706, 471; Neuse, Yadkin and Catawba rivers. 

 ?Catostomut anisurm Rafinesque, Ichthyologia Ohiensis, 54, 1820; OMo River. 

 Myxoatoma veUUum, Jordan, 1878, 132; Neuse, Yadkin, and Catawba rivers (after Cope). 

 Moxostoma anisurum., Smith, 1893a, 198; Roanoke River. 

 Moxostoma coUapaum, Jordan & Evermann, 189p, 190. 



Diagnosis. — Body rather stout, compressed, back elevated, the depth contained 3.33 

 times in total length; head short, small, conic, broad and flat above, its length .25 of total 

 length; mouth small, lips plicate, muzzle truncate and overhanging the mouth; eye in middle 

 of side of head, .25 length of head, twice length of snout, and .66 width of interorbital space; 

 dorsal fin long, free edge straight, its base .83 length of head, rays 15: caudal lobes subequal; 



