274 



CHARACINID.F. 



Bouleng. Ann. & Mag. N. H. (7) viii. 1901, p.- 513,- and Fish: Nile, p.. 141, 



pi. xxii. & pi. xxiii. % I (1907). 

 DisticJiodus nefasch, part., Cuv. & Val. Hist. Poiss. xxii. p. 175 (1849). 

 Distichodus rodolphi, Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1896, p. 223 ; Vincig. Ann. Mus. 



Genova, (2) xix. 1898, p. 258 ; Fowler, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1906, p. 467, fig. 



Depth of body 2-| to 3f- times in total length, length of head o^ (young) 

 to 5|- times. Head 1^ to 1^ times as long as deep, If to 1\ times as 

 long as broad ; snout rounded, somewhat depressed, projecting more or 

 less beyond mouth, its length less than interorbital width ; diameter of 

 eye 3 (young) to 6 times in length of head, interorbital width 2\ to 3 

 times ; width of mouth 3| to 4§ times in length of head ; teeth in two 

 series in each jaw, outer series containing 24 (young) to 36 ; maxillary 

 extending to below nostrils ■ upper surface of head and opercle more or 

 less rugose with radiating striae. Gill-rakers short, 17-20 on lower part 

 of anterior arch. Dorsal 22-26 (3-G unbranched), equally distant from 

 occiput and from caudal fin, or a little nearer the former ; longest rays 



Figr. 209. 



M 



-« 



Distit-hodus nilotictis. 

 Lower Kile (F. N.). \. 



§ to § length of head. Adipose fin small, nearly equally distant from 

 dorsal and from caudal. Anal 13-15 (3-4 unbranched), its base much 

 shorter than that of anal. Pectoral -§ to |- length of head, as long as or 

 slightly shorter than ventral. Caudal forked, with rounded lobes. 

 Caudal peduncle as long as deep or slightly deeper than long. Scales 

 90-110 golfs, 15-18 between lateral line and root of ventral. Purplish 

 grey above, silvery white below ; young with 10-13 vertical dark bars 

 on the body, a round blackish spot above the pectoral fin, on or below 

 the lateral line, find another at the base of the caudal fin ; these markings 



