THE SUCKERS 



Family IV. Catostomida; 



Body elongate, usually more or less compressed; head rather 

 conical; opercles normally developed; nostrils double; no barbels; 

 mouth usually greatly protractile and with fleshy lips; jaws 

 toothless; lower pharyngeal bones falciform, armed with a single 

 series of numerous comb-like teeth; branchiostegals 3; gill-mem- 

 branes more or less united to the isthmus, restricting the gill- 

 openings to the sides; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; pseudo- 

 branchiae present; scales cycloid; lateral line decurved, sometimes 

 absent; head naked; fins not scaly; dorsal fin comparatively 

 long (of 10 to 30 rays); anal fin short; pectorals placed low; 

 ventrals abdominal; no adipose fin; fins without true spines; 

 alimentary canal long; stomach simple and without pyloric 

 coeca; air-bladder large, divided into 2 or 3 parts by transverse 

 constrictions. 



The sucker family is a large one, embracing some 115 

 genera and more than 70 species, 2 of which occur in Eastern 

 Asia, while the others are inhabitants of the fresh waters of 

 North America. 



The members of this family are very widely distributed 

 over the United States, there being scarcely a State which has 

 not several species, and at least two extend their range far into 

 Canada and Alaska, while others are found southward into 

 Mexico. 



The family includes not only the species commonly known 

 as suckers, but also those known as ledhorses, buffaloes, quill- 

 backs, and freshwater mullets. Most of the species do not 

 exceed a weight of 4 or 5 pounds, though some of them reach 

 an immense size. 



As food fishes they do not occupy a high rank. Though 

 the flesh is well flavoured, it is exceedingly full of bundles of 

 small fagot-bones, which are very troublesome to one who 

 attempts to eat it. The great abundance and the large size of 

 many of the species, however, render them of considerable 

 commercial importance, thus entitling them to a place in this 

 work. 



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