PARAPHOXINUS ALEPIDOTUS. 



187 



the middle of the body, and somewhat behind the origin of the ventral s ; 

 it is higher than long-, and more truncated behind than in the Minnow. 

 The anal fin is lower, and nearly as high as long. The ventral fins are 

 more feebly developed, and do not reach back to the vent. The pectoral 

 fins are also small, and but little longer than the ventral. The longest 

 rays of the caudal fin are not moi-e than four-fifths of the length of the head. 

 The vent is behind the termination of the dorsal fin. 



The most remarkable characteristic of the fish is the scaleless body, though 

 the lateral line, as far as it extends, is foi-med by a single row of easily-detached 

 scales. The lateral line descends over the ventral fins to the lower third 

 or fourth of the height of the body, and rises towards the tail. It resembles the 

 lateral line of the Minnow in its variations. 

 In some individuals it reaches to the end of 

 the tail, while in others it may terminate in 

 the middle of the body, or even earlier. The 

 cephalic mucus-canals are well marked by an 

 unusual number of pores thickly-placed in 

 rows. Fig. 101 shows the pharyngeal teeth. 



The colour of the back is blackish- 

 brown, the sides are paler, with steel- 

 blue longitudinal bands, and are marked by fine points of black pigment. 

 The belly is silvery. All the fins are yellow and unspotted. The length 

 varies from three to nearly four inches. This species is found in Dalmatia at 

 Sign, and in the Narenta, and also occurs at Livno, in Bosnia. 



101. — PHAKYXGEAL TEETH 

 PHOXINUS ALEPIDOTIS 



Paraphoxinus croaticus (Steindachner). 



D. 3/7—8, A. 3/7—8, V. 2/6—7. 



While the Plio.r/nelliin ahpldoim (Ileekel) has scales only along the 

 lateral line, this species is covered with remarkably small delicate ovate scales 

 with concentric ornament, so arranged in shallow pits as to leave slight 

 interspaces between the adjacent scales. 



In the lateral line the scales number sixty-three to seventy, are closer 

 together, and pointed behind ; but the lateral line, which is nearly parallel to 

 the abdominal contour, does not always reach to the caudal fin, and may 

 terminate in the region of the anal fin. 



The proportions of the body vary with age. The height in old individuals, 

 six or seven inches long, exceeds the length of the head ; while in younger 

 specimens, five inches long, it is only two-thirds or three-fourths the length 



