31. CYPRINID^ CARASSIUS. 253 



111.— PLAGOPTEKUS Cope. 

 (Coj>e, I'roc. Aiucr. Phil. Soc. Pliilii. 1874, 301: type Plagoptvrus nrgenlissiinus Copo.) 



Body slender. Mouth terminal, a barbel at the extremity of the max- 

 illary. Teeth 2, 5-4, 2, hooked, without grinding surface. Body en- 

 tirely scaleless. Fins as in Mcda and Lcjn/lovnda. f^\zo. small, {-^.^rrj, 

 wound; -rziiov, fin; in allusion to the armature of the dorsal fiu.) 



426. P. ai'g'CDJtissiiniis Cope. 



Body slender. Head rather broad, the muzzle slightly depressed, over- 

 hanging the rather small, horizontal mouth. Lips thin, the maxillary 

 reaching front of eye. Eye moderate, 4^ in head. Dorsal tin entirely 

 behind veutrals, the first S])ine curved, longer than the second ; soft 

 rays of the dorsal thickened and ossified at base ; fifth ray of the ven- 

 tral bound to the abdomen by a membrane for nearly its whole length; 

 pectoral rays osseous at base. Lateral line complete, slightly deflexed. 

 Color clear silvery ; dorsal region dusky, with minute black dots. Head 

 4; depth 6. D. II, 7 ; 'A. 10; teeth 2, 5-4, 2. L 2h inches. San Luis 

 Valley, Western Colorado. {Cope.) 



(Cope, Proc. Ainer. Phil. Sw. Phihx. 1874, 130, jiud Zool. Wheeler's Expl. W. 100th 

 Mer. V, 640.) 



112.— CARASSIUS Nilssou. 



Crucian Carps. 



(Nilsson, ProiUoiuus : type Cijprinun caratislii>i L. ^= Curassiua vulgaris Nilss.) 



Body oblong, compressed, and elevated. Mouth terminal, without 

 barbels. Teeth 4-4, molar, l)ut compressed. Scales large. Lateral 

 line continuous. Dorsal fin very long, with the third ray a stout spine, 

 which is serrated behind ; anal short, with a similar spine. Ventrals 

 well forward. Large species of the fresh waters of Euro])e and Asia; 

 often domesticated. {Carassiufi, a latinization of the vernacular names 

 of the Eurojiean Crucian Carp, Karass or Karausche.) 



427. €. aiiratiis (L.) Blecker.— ^'oW-A'.s//. 



Body stout, covered with large scales. Dorsal and anal fins with the 

 spines strong, coarsely serrated. Coloration olivaceous, usually orange 

 or variegated in domestication. I). II, IS; A. II, 7; Lat. 1. 20; teeth 

 4-4. L. 12 inches. China and ,F;i|)an ; introduced everywhere as an 

 aquarium fish, and now naturalized in many of our eastern streams. 

 The variations are innumerable. 



{Ciiprinus auratuH Liuna-us, Sy«t. Nat. ; Giiuthcr, vii, 32.) 



