Catostomidae

noun

Distribution: China, northeast Siberia, North America. Pharyngeal teeth a single row with at least 16 teeth. Lips usually thick and fleshy with plicae or papillae. Premaxilla and maxilla usually bordering upper jaw. Exhibits tetraploidy. About 1 m maximum length, usually below 60 cm.

The family Catostomidae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Cypriniformes. It contains 13 genera and 68 species. It may be found in Freshwater environments and is primarily Primary freshwater. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is subcarangiform. Members of this family have been dated back to the lower Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period. This family may be found from 70° n to 18° s and 180° w to 180° e. Etymology of this family name: Greek, kata = down + Greek, stoma = mouth