852 FISHES — CTPRINID^. 



ioserted aboat midway between yentrals and anal ; pectorals not reaching yentrals, the 

 latter to the vent; caudal fin long; coloration dark steel-blue above, pale or silvery 

 below, the males often showing traces of 8 to 10 cross-bars; a conspiouons spot at the 

 base of the dorsal in front, the fins otherwise all plain ; males with the anterior dorsal 

 region and the head profusely covered with small whitish tubercles, the belly and lower 

 fins being of a bright brick red ia spring ; females very pale olive, sometimes colorless; 

 head 4i ; depth 4i ; D. 7 ; A, 11 ; 9-47-3 ; teeth a, 4 4, 2. Length 3i inches. 



Diagnosis.^-The Red -fin may be known from all the other minnowa of 

 similar appearance by the presence of a black spot at the base of the dor- 

 sal, in front. The only other species similarly marked, Semoiilus corpor- 

 alis, has a larger head, and a short anal fin of 7 or 8 rays. 



Habits. — This species is very abundant throughout Ohio, especially in 

 the southern part of the State. It is especially fond of small, clear 

 streams. The male fish in the spring is one of the most brilliant of our 

 fishes, being sometimes almost violet colored, and later of a fine brick- 

 red. The female is usually very pale, with a delicate purplish luster. 



Genus 35. LUXILUS. Eafinesque. 



Ltixilus, Eafinbsqde, Ich. Oh., 1820, 47. 



Hypsolepia, Baird, Mss., Agassiz Am. Joura. Soi. Arts, 1854, 359. 

 Albumops, GiEAED, Proo. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila., 1856, 194. 

 Plargyrua (Raf.), Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Soi. Phila., 1856, 195. 

 Hydrophlox, Jordan, Man. Vert., 2d Ed., 1878, 292. 



Type, Luxilua chryaocephalus, Eaflneeque ; Cyprinus cornutua, Mitch. 



Etymology, Latin, lux. light, in allusioa to the vernacular name shiner. 



Body oblong, more or less compressed ; mouth normal ; no barbels ; teeth 2,4- 

 4, 2, hooked, with masticatory surface ; intestinal canal short ; scales large, more or 

 less closely imbricated along the sides of the body, so that the exposed surfaces are 

 higher than long ; lateral line continuous, decurved ; dorsal over or slightly behind 

 ventrals; anal fin short; breeding coloration usually very brilliant; the male flashed 

 with red, and with the snout tuberculate. As here understood, this is a large genus, 

 including a considerable number of species, most of them Southern in their distribution. 

 There are three well-marked subgenera : Luxilua proper, including large species, with 

 the scales very closely imbricated, and much deeper than long; the dorsal over the 

 ventrals and the jiws even ; type L. cornutua, 



CoccoUa, Jor., including rather large species, with the scales less closely imbricated, 

 but still deeper than long ; dorsal behind ventrals and lower jaw projecting ; type L, 

 coccogmia. 



Alburnopa, Grd. ( Bydropklox), small species with the scales normal ; the jaws eqnal 

 and the dorsal somewhat behind the ventrals. These fishes resemble certain species of 

 Sudaonitia, but the males are brilliantly colored. Type, L. Menniua. 



Only L. cornutua, the largest and best known of the species of the genus has been 

 observed in Ohio. 



