THE CAKP FAMILY. 



91 



CHAPTER VII. 



Series I. BOITT FISMES. 



Order II. MALACOPTEEYOII ABBOMINALES*. 



Family CTFRINIBJE f. 

 Genus CTPBINUSl. 



THE COMMON CARP. 



(Cyprinus carpio §.) 



Characteristics common to all the Carp Family, — Fin-rays almost 

 entirely flexible. Ventral fins suspended to the abdomen behind the 

 pectorals, without being attached to the bones of the shoulder. Mouth 

 shallow ; lips commonly fleshy; jaws feeble, generally without teeth. 

 Powerful teeth in the throat. Only one back-fin. Body scaly. Very 

 few gill-rays. 



Having concluded the first Order^ Acanthopterygian fish, 

 or those having numerous spines on the fins, we now come 

 to the Cyprinidm, which form Cuvier's first family of Mala- 

 copterygii, or fishes which have almost all their fin-rays 

 soft and flexible. 



The distinguishing characteristics of Cyprinus or true 



* Abdominal soft-fimied fish (see p. 37). 

 t The Family of the Carps. 



X Cyprinus, a Carp. 

 § carpio, the Carp, Lat. 



