266 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



ORDER IT.— MALACOPTERYGII. 



All the fin rays soft and flexible, except sometimes the 

 first of the dorsal or pectoral fins. 



I. ABDOMINALES. 



Ventral fins placed on the lower part of the abdomen, 

 under the first dorsal fin, or nearly so. 



Family I. CYPRINID^.— Dorsal fin one; mouth 

 small, mostly without teeth ; belly not compressed, never 

 serrated ; intestinal canal short, destitute of caeca. Inha- 

 bitants of fresh waters ; swimming bladder generally di- 

 vided into two lobes. 



Genus LEUCISCUS. — Dorsal and anal fins short ; nose 

 without cirri, tail forked. 



Leuciscus rutilus.* — The Roach. 



Specific Characters. — Body deep, scales large ; anal fin red ; base 

 of the tail without a black spot. 



Description. — From a specimen six inches and a half in length. 

 Dorsal line more convex than that of the abdomen ; head one-fifth 

 the length of the whole fish, caudal fin included ; depth of the body 

 at the commencement of the dorsal fin one -fourth the length, as far 

 as to the end of the middle caudal rays. Colour of the back dusky- 

 blue, sides lighter, cheeks and abdomen silver}^, irides yellowish ; 

 dorsal and caudal fins pale red ; ventrals and anal bright red ; pec- 

 torals pale orange, sometimes dusky red. First ray of the dorsal fin 

 commencing exactly half-way between the point of the nose and the 



* Leuciscus rutilus, Cuv., Yarr. ; Cyprinns rutilus, Linn., Perm., Jen. 



