
HISTORY AND ANATOMY OF THE GOLDFISH 

and a body adapted to rapid locomotion in water, and shaped to offer the 
least resistance and friction in swimming. The goldfish is a member of 
the carp family, and has been variously known as Cyprinus auratus and 
Carassius auratus, the latter designation being more recently preferred as 
more distinctive of the ornamental fish as there is a species of food carp 
which bears the name Cyprinus aureus. 
ANATOMY OF THE Common Go toprisH. Fig. 1. As one of the bony 
fishes, it has the vertebra hollow at the ends, united by ligaments, and 
having the cavities filled with a gelatinous substance in order to give to 
the spine the mobile flexibility requisite to existence in a fluid medium. 

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a, 15 1516 
COMMON AMERICAN GOLDFISH 
Carassius auratus americanus 
FIG, 1—Parts referred to in descriptions, 
I Snout, g Anus, 
2 Distance from snout to nape, or occiput, 10 © Ventral fin, 
3 Head. 1t Pectoral fin, 
4 Lateral line, 12 Branchiostegals, 
5 Dorsal fin, 13. Operculum. 
6 Base of caudal fin. m4. Eye: 
1 to 6 Distance from snout to base of caudal fin, 15 Upper jaw, or maxillary. 15a. Preorbital. 
7 Caudal fin, 16 Lower jaw, or mandible, 
8 Anal fin 17 Nostril 
The spinal column is divided into an abdominal and a caudal region, the 
bones forming the arch through which the, spinal cord passes. ‘There are 
also transverse processes and an inferior arch below, which carries the lower 
caudal spine and the interspinous bones of the anal fin. The ribs are 
slender, curved bones each attached to a vertebra and imbedded in the 
muscles of the sides and abdomen. ‘The interspinous bones in the middle 
line of the back between the lateral muscles, are connected with the verte- 
bre by ligaments, their outer ends being interspaced with the median 
or dorsal fin. Theskullis a complicated structure consisting principally of 
the cranial,the maxillary and inter-maxillary, the pra-operculum, sub-opercu- 
lum, and inter-operculum, mandible and other smaller intermediary bones. 
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