Distribution of Freshwater Fish in Ahjeriu. .']81 



waters of Lake Bou-Kamira in the Tell ami the Salter waters 

 of the Oued (Jhir. 



Tiicre remain, therefore, eleven species peculiar Xo the lit- 

 toral, of which the majority occur both in the sea and in 

 fresh water, namely iiobins rhodopterus^ G. pcujanelhtSj 

 Blennins vulgaris ^ AtherinaEissoi, Mu(/il cej)halus, M.cajtito, 

 and Clupeajinta. 



The species found only in tlie fresh waters of the Tell arc 

 (rtutterosti'us brdchi/rcntrus, Sa/uio uiacrustiyiaay Carassius 

 auratuSj and St/ni/Jiathus a/</eriensis. 



Carassius auratuSj the common <;oldfish, is not a native of 

 Algeria, although it abounds in tlie western rivers on the 

 frontier of ^lorocco. It is probable that its introduction was 

 due to tlie caprice of one of the sultans of the Tlemccn dynasty; 

 but, wliatever the cause, the fact is that it has been so long 

 and is so widely naturalized, that we have not tliouglit it 

 proper to exclude it from our list, like the carp and tench, 

 which have been in course of naturalization for about twelve 

 years, but which have not yet left the reservoirs where they 

 nave been reared for the freer life of the streams or rivers. 



We include also amongst the fish of the Tell the Sf/nqnathus 

 algeriensisy one of the few species of that genus not found in 

 the sea. It has never been observed within 80 kilometres of 

 the coast ; and we therefore consider it purely Huviatile. 



The High Plateaux have hitherto atforded only seven spe- 

 cies, three of which have been previously cited as common to 

 the other regions ; the remaining four are Cyprinodon iberus, 

 CristicejJS anjentatus^ Tellia apoda^ and Leuciscus callensis^ 

 Avhich last is also found in the Tell ; Cristiceps arrjentatus 

 occurs also on the coasts of the ^lediterranean ; so that two 

 species only are peculiar to this region ; and of these, one has 

 been found in 8})ain. The Tellia apoda is a genus and species 

 not represented elsewhere than in Algeria. 



The Sahara is not more rich*; and it is only in the upper 

 part, in the rivers which descend from the High Plateaux, that 

 the two species of barbel are found. In the greater part of 

 this vast region the waters are only inhabited by Anguilla 

 vulgaris (found everywhere in xVlgeria), the Cyprinodon cala- 

 ritanus (also found near Bone), and the two species of Chromis^ 

 C. nilotica and C. Iristrami. 



These last three species have been frequently ejected by 

 artesian wells ; and this has formed the subject of numerous 



* It is to be regretted that no ichthyolo<>:ist accompanied General de 

 Wimpfl'eu's expedition, in the simnner of 1870, to the south-west of 

 Algeria. It is probable that the abundant waters of the Oued Gheir 

 would have contributed to swell our list. 



