CYPRINID^E. 203 



Genus X Nemacheilus, Van Hasselt. 



Acoura and Acourus, Swainson. Acanthocobitis, Peters. Oreias, Sauvage. 

 Diplophysa, Kessler. 



Body elongated. Dorsal profile nearly horizontal. Barbels six : none on the 

 mandibles. No spine on the head. Dorsal fin short or of moderate length, and 

 situated opposite the ventrals. 



This genus, which includes a large number of species, has been subdivided 

 into such as possess upwards of twelve dorsal rays, Acanthocobitis, and those with 

 less : also into those that have forked or entire caudal fins. 



Geographical distribution. Fresh waters of Europe and Asia. 



1. Nemacheilus barbatula, Plate CXXXVII, fig. 2. 



Cobitis barbatula, Rondel, ii, p. 204 ; Gesner, p. 404 ; Aldrov. v, c. xxxi, 

 p. 618 ; Jonston, lib. iii, t. i, c. xii, art. ii, t. xxvi, f. 21. Cobitis fluviatilis, 

 Schonev. p. 31 ; Rutty, i, p. 366 ; Ray, Pise. p. 124 ; Willugh. p. 265, t. Q8, fig. 1. 

 Loche, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 282, pi. lviii (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 379, 

 pi. lxix. Cobitis, sp. Artedi, Genera, p. 2, no. 2, Synon. p. 2, no. 1. Enchelyopus, 

 Klein, MSS. iv, p. 59, no. 3, pi. xv, f. 4. Duhamel, Peches, ii, sect, iii, p. 521, 

 pi. xxvii, f. 3. 



Cobitis barbatula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 499 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1348 ; Bloch, 

 Icthyol. i, p. 329, t. xxxi, f. 3 ; Bonnaterre, Ency. Ich. p. 148, pi. lxi, f. 241 ; 

 Bl. Schn. p. 434 ; Lacep. v, p. 8 ; Miiller, Faun. Danm. p. 47 ; Pall. Zoog. Ross.- 

 As. iii, p. 164 ; Donovan, Brit. Fish, i, pi. xxii ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 103 ; 

 Flem. Brit. An. p. 189 ; Jenyns, Manual, p. 416 ; Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 270 ; 

 Yarrell, Brit. Fishes (ed. 1), i, p. 376, c. fig. (ed. 2) i, p. 427 (ed. 3), i, p. 446 ; 

 Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 310 ; Fries and Ekstr. Skan. Fisk. pi. liii ; Templeton, Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. 1837 (2), i, p. 410; Johnston, Berwick. N. H. F. Club, 1838, i, 

 p. 172 ; Nilss. Skand. Faun, iv, p. 343 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland , iv,p. 139 ; 

 Nord. in Demid. Voy. Russ. Merid. iii, p. 470 ; Cuv. and Val. xviii, p. 14, pi. 520 ; 

 Kroyer, Dan. Fisk. iii, p. 539 ; Heckel and Kner, Suss. w. f. p. 301, f. 162 ; Siebold, 

 Suss. w. f. p. 337 ; Malmgren, Wieg. Arch. 1864, p. 306 ; Canestrini, Arch. Zool. 

 iv, 1866, p. 146, and Faun. Ital. Pesc. p. 20 ; White, Catal. p. 69 ; Blanchard, 

 Poiss. France, p. 280, fig. 52 ; Feddersen, Danske F. Fiske, p. 92 ; Moreau, 

 Poiss. France, iii, p. 432. 



Nemachilus barbatula, Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 354 ; Giglioli, Pesc. Ital. Catal. 

 p. 46. 



Loach, Couch, Fishes British Isles, iv, p. 69, pi. excix, f . 2 ; Houghton, British 

 Fresh Water Fishes, p. 65, c. fig. 



B. iii, D. 10 (|:|), P. 10-12, V. 8-9, A. 7-8 (V), C. 17. 



Length of head 5 to 5|, of caudal fin 6 to 6|, height of body 6 to 8 in the 

 total length. Eye 5 to 6^ diameters in the length of the head and situated 

 about its centre, from 2 to 3 diameters from the end of the snout, and li to 2 

 apart. Body rounded anteriorly, but compressed in its posterior half. Mouth over- 

 hung by the snout, which is obtuse : cleft shallow : the posterior extremity of the 

 maxilla reaches to beneath the hind nostril. No spine on the head. Barbels six, 

 all inserted into the snout and upper jaw. Teeth pharyngeal ; in one row 8-10/10-8, 

 pointed and crooked at their extremities. Fins the dorsal commences above the 

 insertion of the ventral and rather nearer the base of the caudal fin than the end 

 of the snout, or midway between the two. Pectoral as long as the head excluding 

 the snout. Caudal cut almost square at its posterior extremity, with its corners 

 rounded. Scales minute, and mostly concealed in the large amount of slime 

 with which the fish is covered. Lateral-line distinct along the middle of the 

 side of the body. Colours these are subject to great variation, mostly of an 



