292 



CHARACINID.E. 



eye 3^ (young) to 6 times in length of head ; a narrow adipose lid in 

 front of and behind eye ; interorbital width 1\ to 2^ times in length of 

 head. Gill-rakers short, fine, closely set, about 50 on lower part of 

 anterior arch. Dorsal 17-20 (3-5 unbranched), originating behind 

 vertical of base of ventral and nearer caudal than end of snout ; anterior 

 branched rays more or less produced, often longer than head. Adipose 

 fin moderately large, its base \ to -f its distance from dorsal. Anal 

 25-31 (3-4 unbranched); anterior rays forming a produced, pointed 

 lobe, measuring \ to § length of head. Pectoral | to -f length of 

 head, reaching, or nearly reaching, ventral. Caudal deeply forked, with 



Fig. 223. 





tin 





Jlfc. 



Sssss. 





Citharinus atharus. 

 Lower Nile (F. N.j. }. 



pointed lobes. Caudal peduncle as long as deep or slightly deeper than 

 long. Scales 77-90 |^, 17-21 between lateral line and root of ventral. 

 Silvery, the back greenish or purplish grey ; pectoral white, other fins 

 grey, usually with some bright red on the ventral, the anal, and the lower 

 lobe of the caudal ; adipose fin sometimes edged with black ; young often 

 with dark longitudinal lines running between the series of scales 



Total length 480 millim. 



Lower Nile to Blue Nile and White Nile, Chad Basin, Senegal, 

 Gambia, Niger. — Type in Paris Museum. 



