1956/07/01 by Helen J. Illick · 2 citations
Environmental Science · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Fish Ecology and Management Studies #Fish Biology and Ecology Studies #Ichthyology and Marine Biology
paper · doi:10.2307/2422456
The present comparative study of the lateral-line canals on the head of some of the North American Cyprinidae was undertaken to make possible a better understanding of the relationship of these fishes. However, it was realized that phylogenetic relationship could not be demonstrated on the basis of this character alone. Progress toward a natural classification in a large family like the Cyprinidae depends upon the completion of studies of many morphological characters. The lateral-line canals of the head of eighty-three forms includintg subspecies, representing thirty-eight genera, were studied to determine the generalized pattern for the family as well as the individual and group variations of this pattern. It is obvious that a full understanding of the lateral-line characters of a genus is not possible until every species of the genus is studied. Neither material nor time was available to cotnplete such a study. However, species that seemed to characterize a genus best were chosen. Detailed descriptions of the cephalic lateral-line canals of each of the species studied are in the author's doctoral dissertation, which is available at the Cornell University library. REVIEW OF LITERATURE