FISHES CYPRINIDAE — CYPRINELLA BUBALINA. 



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1. CYPRINELLA BUBALINA, Grd. 



Spec. Char. — Body short ; back very much arched. Peduncle of tail slender. Head constituting the fifth of the entire 

 length. Eye large and circular ; its diameter entering three times and a half in the length of the side of the head. Jaws equal ; 

 posterior extremity of ma.\illar bone extending to a vertical line drawn a little in advance of the orbit. Dorsal fin higher than 

 long, its anterior margin equidistant between the tip of the snout and the insertion of the caudal. Origin of ventrals situated 

 slightly in advance of the anterior margin of the dorsal. Pectorals slender ; other fins well developed. 



Syn. — Leuciscus bubalinus, B. fc G. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VF, 1853, 391 ; and, in Marcy's Expl. of Red Riv. of 

 La. 1853, 249, Zool. pi. xiv, figs. 5—8. 

 Cyprinella bubaiina, Gru. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VIII, 1856, 197. 



The body is very much compressed and rather short in general appearance. The back is 

 considerably arched in advance of the dorsal fin, behind which the body tapers quite rapidly 

 posteriorly, rendering the peduncle of the tail comparatively slender. The head is about one- 

 fifth of the entire length. The eyes are comparatively large and circular, their diameter being 

 contained three times and a half in the length of the side of the head, one diameter intervening 

 between the eye and the snout. The nostrils are nearer to the eyes than to the tip of the snout. 

 The jaws are even. The opercular apparatus is conspicuously developed, especially the opercle, 

 which has the shape of an elongated quadrangle, slightly concave jiosteriorly, and slightly 

 rounded inferiorly. The isthmus is quite small. 



The anterior margin of the dorsal fin is equidistant between the extremity of the snout and 

 the base of the caudal fin. It is angular, higher than long, and composed of eight rays. 

 The anal has the same length as the dorsal, but is not quite so deep as the latter is high ; it is 

 composed of nine articulated rays and two minute rudiments at the anterior margin. The 

 ventrals when bent backwards reach the anterior margin of the anal fin, consequently overlap- 

 ping the anus which is situated close to the anal fin. They are composed each of eight rays, all 

 soft or articulated. The pectorals are comparatively small and slender, their tips reaching the 

 insertion of the ventrals when brought backwards. Their posterior margin is rounded ; their 

 rays are eleven in number. In all the fins the rays are bifurcated, and the middle ones sub- 

 divided still. The formula is as follows : 



D 8 ; A 2, 9 ; C 4, 1, 9, 9, 1, 3 ; V 8 ; PIT. 



The scales are anteriorly sub-truncated, posteriorly rounded, with numerous radiating 

 grooves. Ten longitudinal rows may be counted upon the line of greatest depth of the body, 

 and five rows on the peduncle of the tail. The lateral line, which contains about thirty-six 

 scales, forms a very open curve downwards, and nearer to the insertion of the ventrals than to 

 the base of dorsal. 



The ground color is altered to greyish; the real tint is not preserved on the specimen before us. 



List of specimens. 



M a 



