THE CARP FAMILY. 



91 



CHAPTER VII, 



Series I. SONY FISHES. 



Order II. MALACOPTEEYGII ABDOMINALES*. 



Family CYPRINID3S t- 

 Genus CYPEINUSl. 



THE COMMON CARP. 



(Cyprinus carpio .) 



Characteristics common to all the Carp Family. Fin-rays almost 

 entirely flexible. Ventral fins suspended to the abdomen behind the 

 pectorals, without being attached to the bones of the shoulder. Mouth 

 shallow ; lips commonly fleshy; jaws feeble, generally without teeth. 

 Powerful teeth in the throat. Only one back-fin. Body scaly. Very 

 few gill-rays. 



HAVING concluded the first Order, Acanthopterygian fish, 

 or those having numerous spines on the fins, we now come 

 to the Cyprinida, which form Cuvier's first family of Mala- 

 copterygii, or fishes which have almost all their fin-rays 

 soft and flexible. 



The distinguishing characteristics of Cyprinus or true 



* Abdominal soft-finned fish (see p. 37). 

 t The Family of the Carps. 



Cyprinus, a Carp. 

 carpio, the Carp, Lat. 



