CYPRINIM3. 165 



Cyprinus amarus, Koch, Fish. Ratis. p. 39. 



Cyprimis moles, Agassiz, Mem. Soc. Sc. Nat. Neuch. i, 1835, p. 37. 



Carassius oblongus, Heckel and Kner, I.e. p. 73. 



Gyprinopsis gibelio, Blanchard, I.e. p. 340, fig. 69. 



Prussian carp, Couch, I.e. p. 31, pi. clxxxv. 



B. iii, D. 15-25 (ri^x), P. 13-18, V. 9-10, A. 8-9 ( 6 -M, C. 19-21, L. 1. 28-35, 

 L. tr. 5|-6*/8f 



The relative proportions in this fish are subject to great variations, the body 

 being much more elevated in some than it is in others, the dorsal profile being 

 generally more convex than the abdominal. Length of head 4| to 5, of caudal 

 fin 4| to 51, height of body 2\ to 4 times in the total length. Byes in 

 the anterior half of the head, diameter of each from 5 to 6 in the length 

 of the head, 1 to \\ diameters from the end of the snout, and 1^ to 2 apart. 

 Snout obtuse, the cleft of the mouth shallow, with the upper jaw slightly the 

 longer. Barbels absent, if present which sometimes occurs, the example is 

 thought to have been crossed with the common carp (see G. kollarii). Teeth, 

 pharyngeal normally 4 4, but in some I have found 4, 2 or 3 2 or 3, 4, and 

 scalpriform having somewhat compressed crowns with a depressed and flattened 

 surface. Bins the dorsal commences on a line above the insertion of the 

 ventrals and ceases above the termination of the anal : it is higher in some 

 examples than in others, its last undivided ray is serrated posteriorly. The last 

 undivided anal ray osseous and posteriorly serrated. Caudal may be cut almost 

 straight posteriorly, simply notched or almost forked. Colours vary, generally 

 brownish tinted with green along the back : brown or gray tinged with yellow on 

 the sides and white or yellowish white beneath. Fins dark with a bluish or red 

 tinge. 



Varieties. The Carassius vulgaris is the highest variety of this species, in 

 some the shape of its body being* almost quadrangular, and the dorsal profile much 

 more elevated than the abdominal. The gibele differs in the less height of the body, 

 being somewhat starved in appearance, and is not so deep and more carp-like than 

 G. vulgaris, having a blunter head, longer lower jaw, back not so elevated, and the 

 caudal fin more deeply forked. G. moles, C. V, is a form having a low dorsal fin, 

 and G. oblongus, Heckel and Kner, one in which the body is elongated. The 

 G. Icollarii, known by the presence of barbels, is a hybrid between the common 

 and crucian or gold carp, already referred to (p. 159). It is chiefly raised in the 

 neighbourhood of Paris and Metz, also in Belgium, and is a very inferior fish. I 

 have obtained an example, a little over seven inches in length, from Kent, the 

 pharyngeal teeth in which are 4/4. 



Names. Crucian or Prussian or German-carp. Also termed Hamburgh carp, 

 probably from its having been disseminated from that town or the place where 

 it was best known. Grouger, Warwickshire. Byrbysg, Welsh. Be steenharper, 

 Dutch. Le Carassin commun, French. 



Habits. Much the same as those of the common carp, is an indolent fish, 

 which keeps much to the bottom, coming to the surface when there is a warm 

 sun. It is very tenacious of life. Yarrell instances one which survived after 

 having been kept thirty hours out of water. It lives in localities wherein the 

 impurities are sufficient to destroy most other fish : it is said to thrive in the 

 Thames. In Scandinavia it appears to like shallow, muddy, or grassy lakes. 

 And it is asserted that this fish when put into water with a muddy bottom does 

 not acquire a bad taste so soon as the pike, perch, and other piscine forms. 



Means of capture. Netting. A well scoured brandling is recommended as a 

 good bait, but this fish seldom bites freely. 



Breeding. April, May, and June. Depositing its ova among aquatic weeds at 

 this period, and congregating in shoals. 



As food. Said to be good in Sweden and Russia, but is generally considered 

 inferior, tasteless, and bony. 



Habitat. Europe and Siberia, but it is doubtful whether it is indigenous to 

 this country or has been introduced. It is now generally distributed throughout 



