FAMILY CYPEINID^ — LEUCISCUS^ 211 



THE BAY SHINER. 



Leuciscos chhysoptehus. 

 plate xxx. fig. 95. — (state collection.) 



Characteristics. Ventrals with an accessory scale. Dorsal emarginate. Length four to six 

 inches. 



Description. Body elongate, tapering, subcompressed. Scales large, subequal. Number 

 of scales in a transverse series to the ventrals, seven above and six below the lateral line. 

 There are about forty-five in a longitudinal series. They are rounded, the free margins entire ; 

 exposed surface with six or seven elevated radiating striae, with minute intermediate concen- 

 tric striffi ; middle of the base of each scale produced, with eight or nine radiating plaits. 

 Lateral line curved downward below the middle of the body opposite the ventrals, thence 

 rising and going off straight, but somewhat below the medial line. Head scaleless, pointed, 

 smooth, flattened above. The opercular bones smooth, lustrous silvery. Humeral bone 

 broad, triangular, shining. Eyes large, 0'3 in diameter, and rather more than their diameters 

 apart. The anterior nostril' circular, with an elevated margin nearly covering the posterior 

 aperture. Snout blunt. Mouth small, toothless. 



The dorsal fin arises nearly half an inch farther from the snout than from the base of the 

 caudal ; it is half an inch long, and slightly exceeding this in height ; quadrate, slightly emar- 

 ginate above ; the first ray shortest, the two first simple ; of nine rays, the last bifid. Pecto- 

 ral acuminate, placed low down, slightly behind the gill opening, its tip reaching to within 

 half an inch of the base of the ventrals ; its own base oblique, the lower rays very minute. 

 Ventrals broad, rather contiguous, composed of one simple and eight branched rays ; they 

 arise a tenth of an inch in advance of the first dorsal ray, with a pointed accessory scale at 

 the base ; they reach to within • 2 of the vent, which is placed just before the anal fin. This 

 latter fin of two simple and eight branched rays, broadly emarginate above. Caudal deeply 

 lunate ; the membrane of the middle rays translucent. 



Color. A general silvery color, with a darker hue above. Fins yellowish. I have not 

 given a colored figure of this species, as I had not a sufficiently fresh specimen from which 

 to make the drawing. 



"b- 



Length, 6-0. Depth, 1-2. 



Fin rays, D. 9 ; P. 19 ; V. 9 ; A. 10 ; C. 19 |. 



This beautiful species is caught in the harbor of New- York, and is popularly called Bay 

 Shiner, or simply Shiner. It is allied to L. nitidus, a fresh-water species already described. 

 It appears to have some relations with the family of the Clupidse. 



