18 THE GOLDFISH AND ITS CULTURE, 
The body is elongated, compressed upon the sides; the ab- 
domen is rounded and the entire body covered with uniformly- 
sized scales. Beginning at the head, the body increases in depth 
and width, reaching its maximum depth, which is one-third of 
the length of the body in adults and one-fifth in yearlings, at 
the beginning of the dorsal and ventral fins; its widest part is 
at the shoulders, just behind the gill-covers near the back. From 
here it tapers off gently to the end of the dorsal and anal fins 
where it forms the butt; this is twice as long as deep, termi- 
nating in a slightly forked, equally divided and, on the two 
extremes, strongly supported vertical fin which is known as the 
tail. This is very muscular, its spread less than the depth of 
the body and as long as the dorsal fin is high. The dorsal 
fin, which is supported by a serrated spine, begins on the mid- 
dle of the back, ending opposite the end ot the anal fin; when 
expanded it forms a graceful curve, and at its greatest height, 
at the spine, it measures half of that of its length. The anal 
fin is short, stout and also supported by a strong serrated spine; 
the pectoral and ventral fins are small and rounded, about the 
size of the gill-covers; the head is small, pointed in an even 
angle and naked; lips well developed but without barbles; 
mouth toothless; the eyes small, in diameter as large as the 
distance between eye and snout; golden in color. The color 
of the body is deep orange on the back, fading to lighter to- 
wards the abdomen, with a bright golden gloss on the sides, 
and covered with a coat of slime; lateral line prominent. Fre- 
quently specimens are marked very prettily with black, but this 
black is not permanent. It attains a length of about fifteen 
inches by a depth of four and a half to five inches, specimens 
grown in bodies of water with a current being comparatively 
longer in body than those raised in small ponds or pools. 
