FISHES — CYPEINIDAE — MOXOSTOMA CLAVIFOEMIS. 



219 



List of specimens. 



MOXOSTOMA, Rafin 



Gen. Char. — The body is elongated, compressed ; the head small; the mouth small also, opening obliquely forwards and 

 downwards. The lips are small and transversely ridged ; the inferior one being slightly bilobed. The anterior margin of 

 the dorsal is situated in advance of the insertion of the ventrals. The dorsal fin itself is either higher than long, or else its 

 length is equal to its height, varying somewhat according to the sexea, as well as the anal, which is, however, always deeper 

 than long. The shaft of the pharyngeal bones constitutes a very open curve, the convex margin of which is regular and entire. 

 The teeth themselves are very much compressed, strongly curved inwardly, and much larger inferiorly than superiorly. 



Stn. — Moxosloma, Rafin. Ichth. Ohiens. 1820, 54. — Agass. in Amer. Journ. o So. 2d series, XIX, 1855, 84. — Gnn. in 

 Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VIII, 185fi, 170. 



The most striking claaracter by which this genus may be recognized amongst the other 

 cyprinoids, it must be conceded, is the absence of that lateral line possessed by almost every 

 fish. In other respects it resembles Ptychostomus and Gatostomus, from which it, however, 

 differs by the structure of the pharyngeal bones and the teeth. 



The scales are longer than deep, and so very much imbricated that they appear deeper than 

 long. They are furrowed upon their anterior and posterior sections ; the grooves being much 

 more numerous posteriorly than anteriorly, giving often the body a striated appearance. 



MOXOSTOMA CLAVIFORMIS, G r d . 

 Plate XL VIII, Figs. 5—9. 



Spec. Char.— Head constituting the fifth of the total length. Mouth rather small ; lips conspicuously plaited or ridged. 

 Eye moderate sized, circular ; its diameter contained about four times in the length of the side of the head. Anterior margin 

 of dorsal fin nearer the snout than the base of the caudal. Ventrals inserted opposite the fifth ray of the dorsal. Caudal fin 

 posteriorly concave. Anal fin narrow and deep. Scales much longer than deep, very much imbricated. Yellowish brown, 

 rather dusky along the dorsal region . 



S^s.— Moxosloma davifurmis, Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VIII, 1856, 171. 



Its general outline has a club-shaped appearance, a trait, though more or less generical, is 

 especially characteristic here. The largest specimens which we have examined are four inches 

 in total length, and in all probability not very immature. The greatest depth, taken across 

 the pectoral region, is contained four times and a half in the total length, in which the head 

 enters five times. The eye is circular and moderate in development, contained a little over 

 four times in the length of the side of the head. The upper margin of the dorsal fin is sub- 

 convex ; its anterior margin is nearer the tip of the snout than the insertion of the caudal fin. 

 The caudal is concave posteriorly ; the anal narrow and deep. The ventrals are inserted opposite 

 the fifth ray (or third developed one) of the dorsal, and their tips do not extend as far back as 

 the tips of the posterior rays of the dorsal fin when bent along the dorsal line. 



