31 . CYPRINID^ MINNILUS. 
185 
just equal. Eye large, 3 in Lead, about equal to snout and to iuterorbital 
space. Scales with the exposed surfaces A^ery narrow. Lateral line 
much decurved; IG large scales before dorsal. Dorsal fin inserted en- 
tirely behind the ventrals, greatly elevated, its longest ray a little longer 
than head j anal fin also very high and A^ery long, extending almost to 
base of caudal; these fins somewhat lower in the females. Color sil- 
very; the dorsal blotch consi^icnous ; a distinct black caudal spot, 
smaller than eye and deeper than long ; sides with a silvery band which 
passes around the nose, below this a dusky band. Breeding colors un- 
known. Head 4^; depth 4. D. 8; A. 11 ; scales C-35-3 ; teeth 1, 4-4, 1. 
L. 2i inches. Southern Georgia and Alabama. 
{Alburnus forinosua Putnam, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. i, 9, 1863 (uot Moniana formosa 
Grd.): Leuciscus hmyselopfei'us Gunther, vii, 255: Phoiogenis grandijoitmis J ordnn, Bull. 
U. S. Nat. Mus. X, 62, 1877.) 
85.— MIIVAILrUS Eafinesque. 
Shiners. 
(.?.? Notropis Eafiuesque, 1818; Minnilus, Luxilus, and PlargyrusJiahnesqne", Hypsilepia 
Bail’d; Alburnellus and Alburnops Girard; Lythrunis aud HydropMox Jordan.) 
(Eafinesque, Iclith. Oh. 1820, 47: type Minnilus dlnemus Pat.) 
Body oblong or elongate, more or less compressed. Mouth normal, 
mostly terminal aud oblique. No barbels. Teeth 2, 4-4, 2, sharp- 
edged or with a narrow grinding surface. Scales usually large, often 
closely imbricated. Lateral line complete, usually decurved. Dorsal 
fin inserted above, or more usually behind, the A^entrals; anal fin short 
or somewhat elongate. Abdomen rounded. Coloration often brilliant, 
the males in spring usually Avith red fins and the head with small tu- 
bercles. A A"ep^ large group of small fishes, especially characteristic of 
the fresh Avaters of the Eastern United States. Yarious attempts li^.ve 
been made to divide this group into natural genera, but the gradation 
from one type to another is A^ery perfect. (English minnow; French 
mennise ; from Latin minus, small.) 
This group may be subdiAuded as folloAVS : 
$ Aual fin short, its rays 7-9 (sometimes 10 iu M. zonistius). 
* Scales large, 35-50 iu the lateral line, 
t Teeth with the griuding surface more or less developed, 
t Species attaining a large size, with the scales along the llauhs nearly twice as 
deep as long, aud so closely imbricated that the exposed sur- 
faces are very narrow; back elevated aud convex iu the adult; 
lower jaw included ; dorsal fiu over ventrals (Luxilus Raf.). 
cornutus, selene. 
tt Species of moderate size, with the scales short and deep, hut less closely im- 
bricated than in the preceding ; body elongate, not much ele- 
vated ; mouth large, obliqire, the lower jaw projecting; dor- 
sal fiu iuserted behind ventrals coccogenis, zonistius. 
