CHAPTER II. 



THE COMMON GOLDFISH. 



(Carassius auratus?) 

 DER GOLDFISCH. LE POISSON ROUGE. 



The goldfish belongs to the carp-family, and by some authors is 

 called Cyprinus auratus^ which means gold-carp. A thorough inves- 

 tigation of the subject has Jed the author to the adoption of the 

 name used in the heading, which is also used by some other authors. 

 Besides being more correct, according to the anatomical structure of 

 the fish, is more distinguishing, as there exists a variety of the 

 European food-carp, known as the golden carp, or cyprinus aureus, 

 which is in no ways identical with the goldfish carassius auratus. 



The body of the fish is elongated, compressed upon the sides 

 and entirely covered with a coat of uniformly-sized scales. 



The head is short, naked, that is, without scales; the lips well 

 developed and without barbies. 



The color is generally an orange-yellow with a golden hue, 

 sometimes marked with white or black; the abdomen may be either 

 white or yellowish. 



The name of the entire family, of course, had its origin in the 

 prevailing golden color of the species first introduced into Europe. 



The dorsal fin is long, reaching from the middle of the back 

 nearly to the tail; specimens with a short dorsal fin are deformed. 



