FISHES — CYPRINIDAE — CERATICHTHYS. 



253 



The caudal fin is moderately furcated ; the dorsal is higher, and the anal deeper, than long. 

 The pectorals and ventrals are small ; the tips of the latter not extending to the vent. The 

 number of the rays of the fins scarcely undergoes any variations. In the present species they 

 stand as follows : 



D 2, 8 + 1 ; A 2, 8 + 1 ; C 6, 1, 9, 8, 1, 5 ; V 1, 8 ; P 15. 



Two rudimentary rays in front of both the dorsal and anal, one of which is very exiguous. 



The scales are more uniformly imbricated than in L. dissimilis and L. pallidus, where a noted 

 difference is observed in that respect between the anterior and posterior regions of the body. 



The color of the back is brownish grey, the sides and belly being silvery white. The 

 anterior margin of the dorsal and the base of the caudal exhibit, each, a black spot. 



List of specimens. 



CERATICHTHYS, Baird. 



Gen. Char. — Body elongated, fusiform or sub-fusiform, somewhat compressed. Head flattened ''above, very declivous 

 anteriorly, with the snout rounded and overlapping the lower jaw. Mouth moderate in size, sub-terminal and horizontal, 

 provided with a barbel at its angle, and inserted upon the extremity of the maxillar bone. Eye approximating the upper 

 surface of the head, and rather moderate in size. The isthmus is wide. The insertion of the ventrals is even with a vertical 

 line drawn from the anterior margin of the dorsal fin. The latter is higher, and the anal deeper, than long. The scales are 

 large, and the lateral line nearly straight along the middle of the flanks. The pharyngeal bones are pretty stout upon their 

 convexity, which is very slightly expanded, whilst the upper and lower branches are nearly equally developed, the latter, however, 

 more slender. The teeth are stoutish, compressed, of the prehensile kind of the hooked type, generally without grinding 

 surface. Sometimes, however, a grinding surface may be observed upon some of the teeth which are subject to some variations, 

 being compressed or else eub-conical, generally hooked, and occasionally conical. They are disposed upon a single row : 4 — 4. 



SYn.—Ceratichthi/s, Bo. Mss.— Grd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VIII, 1856, 212. 



The abbreviated and rounded head, which bears a great resemblance to that of several species 

 of Blennius, is a trait which will at once enable to distinguish this genus so soon as it is known 

 to be a cyprinoid. There are other genera in the cyprinoid family having a rather short and 

 rounded head, but none in which the blennioid fascies is so well marked. 



The species of this genus are, as yet, but very imperfectly known. Eafinesque has indicated 

 some of them under various names ; his Rutilus amhlops is one. Dr. Jared P. Kirtland has 

 described another under the name of Semotilus higuttatus. Another, still, has been briefly 

 characterized by me as C. leptocephalus, in the "Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. VIII, 1856, 212." 



A specimen, three inche.s long, collected near the mouth of Poteau creek, Arkansas, by Dr. 

 George G. Shumard, being, according to all probabilities, immature, we must defer its descrip- 

 tion to a future occasion. 



