22 Synopsis of the Fresh Water Fishes, 



§1. 



Species with three spines to the anal fin. 



Cychlasoma pulchrum, Ciill. 



Yernaculak: Casca/rub. 



Body highest at the fifth and sixth dorsal spinous rays ; com- 

 mencement of dorsal distant three-tenths of the entire length 

 of body from the extremity of the muzzle ; the greatest height 

 of the body is nearly one-third of the total length. The head 

 is considerably less than a quarter of the entire length, inclu- 

 sive of the caudal ; the facial outline from dorsal to mouth 

 moderately curved. Anal fin commencing under the first soft 

 ray of the dorsal. Eleven rows of scales obliquely cross the 

 body at its greatest height. The first part of the lateral line 

 runs through a row of fifteen scales ; the second, one of ten 

 scales. 



D. xiii.— 11. A. iii.— 7. C. 16. Y. i. 5. P. 12. 



The general color of the body and head is olive green. A 

 number of lines of a sky-blue color, some of the lower of which 

 are interrupted, obliquely cross the cheeks and preoperculum 

 in a posteriorly ascending direction ; distant and scattered spots 

 are generally continued from the latter on the operculum. The 

 body is crossed by about eight obscure bands ; and as many 

 interrupted longitudinal stripes as there are rows of scales run 

 along the sides, each stripe being formed by bars running 

 through the middle of each scale which are abruptly discon- 

 tinued a short distance from the posterior margins. A distinct, 

 subrotund black spot is branded on each side, on the fourth and 

 fifth rows of scales in an oblique line from the base of the 

 dorsal fin between its eighth and eleventh spines: dots similar to 

 those on the operculum are also more or less thickly distributed 

 over the body. Tliere is a distinct infra-orbital black spot. 



