﻿Cyprinus. gangetic fishes. 263 



5th Species. — Cyprinus gora. 



A Cyprinus of the Chela kind, with eight rays in each ventral 

 fin ; with seventeen in that behind the vent ; with nine in that 

 of the back ; with the lateral line devoid of spots ; and with 

 some teeth like those of a saw on the edge of the belly. 



The Gora (Ghora Chela) is one of the largest fishes in this 

 division of the genus, and is commonly about a span in length. 

 I found it in the Brahmaputra, near Goyalpara. 



The head is bluntish, and on the upper part has scales as far 

 as the nostrils, but is naked on the sides. It is half oval, be- 

 ing Hat above and sloping below, and is narrower than the 

 body. The mouth is large, and descends obliquely. The up- 

 per jaw is protruded in opening, and, in place of a lip, has two 

 small bones entire on the edges. The under jaw has a sharp 

 point turned upward. The nostrils are very near the eye. 

 The gill-covers expose their membranes. 



The back is straightish, and has a blunt edge. The belly is 

 more prominent. On each side are two lateral lines, the up- 

 per straight, the under parallel to the edge of the belly, with a 

 break in its middle. Above each pectoral and ventral fin is a 

 scale-like appendant. The scales are small, thin, and well 

 fixed. 



The dorsal fin slopes behind ; the first of its rays is short, 

 and, with the second, is undivided ; the others are branched, 

 and the last of them split to the root. The pectoral fins are 

 very low, and longer than the head. Each has about thirteen 

 rays. The ventral fins are very small. The first three rays of 

 the fin behind the vent are undivided, and closely united ; and 

 the others are branched, the last being divided to the root. 

 The tail fin is divided into two lobes. 



