530_ REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
soft rays is the longest, and the succeeding ones decrease gradually in 
size to the last, which is about one-half the length of the first. 
The ventral or pelvic fins are made up of 2 spiny rays each, a long 
and a short one, and 8 or 9 soft rays. The height is much greater 
than the length at the base, but when folded back the fins do not reach 
as far as the beginning of the anal fin. The pectoral fins have each 1 
stiff ray and 15 or 16 jointed ones, are rather elongated with rounded 
extremity, and reach back almost to the base of the ventrals. 
The caudal fin is large, broad, and equally lobed, with the ends of 
the lobes rounded. The posterior notch is rounded, not very acute, 
and extends in half the length of the fin or less. It is made up of 18 or 
19, or occasionally only 17, jointed rays, not counting the short incom- 
plete rays (usually 4 to 6) outside the first long one on each side. The 
longest rays of the caudal fin are usually shorter than the head, and 
never exceed it in length. 
The body of the typical scale carp is uniformly covered with large 
thick scales which approach a polygonal, four or five sided outline. 
In the lateral line, which extends nearly straight from the upper 
angle of the opercle to the middle of the base of the tail, or may be 
bowed slightly downward, there are 35 to 39 scales. Above the jateral 
line are 5 or 6 rows, and below a similar number. The scales are 
largest on the anterior part of the sides, where their diameter equals 
about one and one-half times that of the eye. Usually less than one- 
fourth of the scale is exposed; this portion is thicker and has a radial, 
fanlike ornamentation. The portion of the scale which is concealed 
by those in front of it is marked by fine concentric lines, which in 
turn form bands of varying width and regularity, and which are cor- 
related with the growth of the scale. The middle of each scale of the 
lateral line is traversed by a small oblique or slightly curved tube, in 
which the sense organs of the lateral line are situated, and the cephalic 
canals of the lateral line system are noticeable on the suborbital ring. 
In coloration the carp is fully as variable as in its other characters. 
In general the sides are yellowish, golden, or greenish, shading into a 
darker color on the back, which may be dark olive, or bluish-green, 
or almost black with a greenish cast. The yellow of the sides often 
becomes richer, approaching to orange on the ventral side between the 
anal and caudal fins. The yellow of the sides shades into whitish on 
the belly. The posterior edge of each scale has a dark border, and 
there is usually a dark blotch on the anterior part of the exposed por- 
tion, the two together forming a reticulated, or netlike pattern over 
the fish, with a dark spot at the anterior angle of each mesh of the 
net (fig. 1, pl. 1). The lips are yellow or orange; the rest of the head is 
dark olive, except the cheeks, which are yellowish,-while the under 
side of the head is light yellow or whitish. The iris is yellow. 
The dorsal fin is olive or dark gray, each interray space being 
