CHONDEOSTOMA SOETTA. 



201 



the body; the length of its base is about four-fifths of its height. It is 

 truncated, so that its longest ray is more than twice as long as the shortest. 

 The anal fin begins behind the end of the dorsal ; it is as long as high, and 

 in it, too, the last ray is half the length of the longest ray. The ventral fins 

 commence slightly in front of the dorsal, and reach to the vent. They are 

 but little exceeded in length by the pectoral fins. The terminal rays of the 

 caudal fin are at least as long as the head. 



The scales are similar to those of the Nasling, but larger. The largest 

 scales are over the lateral line, and have two-thirds of the diameter of the 

 eye. They have very dense concentric striping, and few rays. In young 

 specimens the diameter of a scale is only one-quarter of that of the eye, while 



Fig. 111. CHONDROSTOMA SOETTA (BONAPARTE). 



in old specimens the lateral scales may be nearly as large as the eye. The 

 number of scales below the lateral line varies, being frequently five or six, but 

 sometimes seven or eight. 



The comb-shaped accessory gills are large. The gill-arches have very 

 numerous thick short rake-teeth, which have a knife-like form, and end in 

 fine curved points. 



The colour resembles that of the Nasling except that there is more of a 

 green tint on the back and sides, and the ns of the lower part of the body, 

 instead of being intensely red, are orange. In young specimens the anal 

 fin is grey. During spawning the males become covered with tubercles on 

 the head and on the scales of the anterior part of the back. 



The length is usually about one foot, but sometimes fifteen inches. The 

 weight is one pound and a half to two pounds. There are forty-four 

 vertebra. 



