LOACHES. 005 



Germany and northern A,sia. In China and Japan it is re- 

 placed by an equally large species, M. anguillicaiidatus. 



Nemachilus.- — No erectile sub-orbital spine. Six barbels, 

 none at the mandible. Dorsal fin opposite to the ventrals. 



The greater number of Loaches belong to this genus ; 

 about fifty species are known from Europe and temperate 

 Asia ; such species as extend into tropical parts inhabit 

 streams of high altitudes. Loaches are partial to fast-running 

 streams with stony bottom, and exclusively animal feeders. 

 In spite of their small size they are esteemed as food where 

 tliey occur in sufficient abundance. The British species, N. 

 harhatulus, is found all over Europe except Denmark and 

 Scandinavia. 



COBITIS. — Body more or less compressed, elongate ; back not 

 arched. A small, erectile, bifid sub-orbital spine below the eye. 

 Six barbels only on the upper jaw. Dorsal fin inserted opposite 

 to ventrals. Caudal rounded or truncate. 



Only three species are known, of which G. tcenia occurs 

 in Europe. It is scarce and very local in Great Britain. 



BoTiA. — Body compressed, oblong ; back more or less arched. 

 Eyes witli a free circular eyelid ; an erectile bifid sub-orbital 

 spine. Six barbels on the upper jaw, sometimes two others at 

 the mandibulary symphysis. Dorsal fin commencing in advance 

 of the root of the ventrals ; caudal fin forked. Air-bladder con- 

 sisting of two divisions : the anterior enclosed in a jmrtly osseous 

 capsule, the posterior free, floating in the abdominal cavity. 



This genus is more tropical 

 than any of the preceding, and 

 the majority of the species 

 (eight in number) are finely 

 coloured. The more elevated 



form of their body, and the Fig. 276.— Botia rostrata. From 



imperfect ossification of the Bengal. 



capsules of the air-bladder, the divisions of which are not side 



