LEUCISCUS HTSPANICUS. 179 



Leuciscus hispanicus (STEINDACHNER). 

 D. 10, A. 11, V. 9, P. 12. Scales : lat. line 6265. 



Steindachner caught this fish near Merida, in Spain, in rivulets which flow 

 into the Guadiana, and at present it is known only from this locality. It has 

 an elongated body and pointed head. The height of the body is one-sixth of 

 the total length. The head is about one-fifth of the length of the fish. The 

 diameter of the eye is one-third of the length of the head, and is equal to the 

 width of the frontal interspace. The distance from the eye to the snout is 

 less than the diameter of the eye. The mouth descends obliquely. The jaws 

 are equal in length. The profile rises rapidly to the dorsal fin, and then descends 

 rapidly. The dorsal fin is twice as high as long, and commences in the middle 

 of the body. The ventral fins are in advance of the dorsal and reach back to 

 the vent. The pectoral fins are longer than the ventrals, and, like those fins, 

 are only moderately rounded. The anal fin is higher than long, and has eight 

 jointed rays. Its lower margin is concave. The caudal fin is longer than in 

 the Minnow and more deeply notched. Its rays are longer than the head. 



There are four pharyngeal teeth in a single row on each side, but 

 Steindachner suggests that since his specimens were small a second row may 

 have been developed later, as happens in the Chub. The scales are very 

 delicate, cover each other very partially, and are larger in the lower part of 

 the body than above. The largest scales are below and behind the shoulder- 

 girdle. In one specimen the lateral line is absent ; in another it is absent on 

 one side, and in a third it is present on both sides of the body, but terminates 

 in front of the ventral fins. The dorsal region is coloured golden -brown or 

 grey ; the lower larger portion of the body is silvery. These two parts are 

 divided by a strongly-marked black line. There are five black spots over 

 the upper part of the body. This fish is three inches long. 



Leuciscus area (STEINDACHNER). 



78 



D. 1 01 1, A. 1 011, V. 910. Scales : lat. line 4046, trans. 



34. 



This species is limited to the Spanish peninsula. It is known in Portugal 

 as Ruivaca, and as Escalo on the Minho in the north of Spain. Like the Chub 

 it varies in form of body with the" locality. It is extremely elongated in the 

 mountain streams of Central Spain and Portugal, and even in the Ebro. But 

 the better-fed individuals in the deeper waters of the Minho, where plants 



