CYPRINODON. 409 



This is a variable and widely distributed species; owing to this, and also to its 

 strongly marked sexual dimorphism, which has caused it in most instances to receive 

 two specific names at a time, its synonymy is an extensive one. 



The usual number of anal rays is 10 or 11, 12 occurring in about 10 per cent, of the 

 specimens : the numbers 9 and 13 are exceptional, as I have come across two cases 

 only of the former, in a female from Sardinia and in a male from Lake Menzaleh, and 

 one of the latter, in a female from Zara. 



In forty-six specimens from Egypt, five have 10 dorsal and 10 anal rays, twenty-one 

 have 11 dorsal and 11 anal rays, and thirteen have 12 dorsal and 12 anal rays. 

 10 dorsal and 11 anal rays, 11 d. and 9 a., 11 d. and 10 a., 11 d. and 12 a., and 13 d. 

 and 11 a. occur once, and 12 dorsal and 11 anal rays occurs twice. 



The principal character on which the distinction of C.fasciatus from C. calaritanus 

 has been based is the presence of only 8 rays in the anal fin of the former, the latter having 

 10 or 11. Valenciennes's original description in 1821 ascribes to the fish 8 anal rays, 

 but the engraved figure which accompanies it shows distinctly 11 rays ; in his revised 

 description in the ' Histoire Naturelle des Poissons,' Valenciennes continues to 

 ascribe 8 anal rays to the individuals from fresh water at Cagliari which are the types 

 of his C.fasciatus. E. von Martens, dealing with specimens from the Venice lagoons, 

 and Giinther in his Catalogue also regard the 8 rays as the chief distinctive character 

 of this species, the latter, however, adding a 9 in parentheses, the single specimen 

 from Sardinia examined by him having that number. Sauvage also regards 8 anal rays 

 as the diagnostic character of C. fasciatus. Vinciguerra, who has examined a large 

 number of specimens from Sardinia and Tunisia, all of which he refers to C. calari- 

 tanus, has found the number of anal rays to vary from 9 to 12, and this is also the 

 result of my study of over a hundred examples from various points of the Mediterranean 

 region. In the absence of any other tangible character by which to separate C.fasciatus 

 from C. calaritanus, I felt some doubt as to the correctness of the statement of the 

 authors who have ascribed 8 anal rays to that species. Prof. Vaillant has been so good 

 as to remove all my doubts on this matter, by informing me that, although the type 

 specimen of Valenciennes (in Humboldt and Bonpland) is in a bad condition, it shows 

 distinct traces of 9 anal rays, and that there is no example of a Gyprinodon fasciatus 

 with 8 anal rays in the Paris Museum. 



Originally discovered in Sardinia, in rivulets and salt-water pools near the sea, this 

 Cyprinodont has been found in succession on the coasts of Istria and Dalmatia, in 

 South Italy (Taranto, Lecce, Lakes Varano and Salpi), in the lagoons of Venice, in 

 Algeria both north and south of the x^tlas, in Tunisia, in Egypt, in Cyprus, in Asia 

 Minor, and in Somaliland. 



Its distribution in Egypt is confined to Lakes Mareotis and Menzaleh and 

 neighbouring fresh waters, Lake Temsah south of Suez, and the spring of the oasis of 

 Shirwah or Jupiter Ammon (C. hammonis, C. & V.). 



3g 



