104 FISH GALLERY. 



along each side of the tail, which constitutes nearly the whole of 

 the length of the body, for the anus is set very far forward, under 

 the throat. Similar but smaller electric organs occur in the base 

 of the anal fin. 

 Cypri- The family Cyprinidse, including the Carps and their allies, is 



composed of fishes with a small mouth-opening, and with no teeth 

 in the jaws, but by way of compensation the gill-teeth, borne by 

 the lower bones of the last gill-arch, are very strongly developed — 

 see, for instance, those of the Mahseer, 331, in the upper part of 

 the case — and the bones themselves are sharply bent (falciform) > 

 one of the distinctive features of the family. These pharyngeal 

 teeth are disposed in one, two or three rows on each side. The 

 body is clothed with scales and there are no bony scutes in the 

 skin such as occur in the next family, the Siluridse or Cat-fishes ;. 

 there is no adipose dorsal fin. • These fishes feed mostly on 

 vegetable substances or small animals. 



The Cyprinids are abundant in the fresh waters of the Old 

 World and North America ; there are comparatively few species in 

 Africa, where they coexist with the Characinids, and they are 

 absent from South America, where the Characinids take their 

 place as the predominant fresh-water fishes. They do not occur 

 in Australia. 

 Suckers. The Suckers of the lakes and rivers of North America are 

 species of Catostomns (e. g. Catostomus teres, 316) ; they have 

 thick, fleshy lips and no barbels ; the dorsal fin extends over a 

 considerable portion of the back and the anal fin is short in the 

 base. The pharyngeal teeth are numerous and are arranged in a 

 single row, forming a kind of comb (317). 



In the Carps, as the various species of the genus Cyprinus are 

 called, the pharyngeal teeth are arranged in three series and 

 bite against a well-developed hard pad supported by a down- 

 grov.th of bone from the base of the cranium. The Carps are 

 indigenous in the temperate regions of Asia, but many have been 

 introduced into European waters and have become thoroughly 

 naturalised. 

 Carp. The Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio (318), was introduced 



into Europe in the thirteenth century, and was first brought into 

 England in the beginning of the seventeenth century. The Carp 



