161 



in the school form a few breeding centers with the presence of females (Constantinescu 

 et al. 1984). One or two (seldom three) males chase one female spawning (Constantine- 

 scu et al. 1984). The male contacted the female then flanked her. Males were also obser- 

 ved rotating two by two. Fecundity ranges from 700 to 1000 eggs. Diameter of a ripe 

 unfertilized egg is about 1.3 mm (Berg 1949), that of an ovum is 1.0 to 1.4 mm (Dauod 

 et al. 1985). 



Distribution 



P. phoxinus occurs in Europe, and east and central Asia. In Asia, it occurs in northern 

 China to Helong Jiang River, Yalu River and Tumen River (Yang & Huang 1964), Korea 

 (Mori 1928a, b, 1930, 1934, Jeon 1989), and Mongolia (Travers 1989). Banarescu (1964: 

 fig. 142) illustrated the geographic distribution of the species. 



Comments 



Bullough (1940) mentioned that the males were darker than females in P. phoxinus. Spe- 

 cimens studied herein, however, show little sexual difference in color. In some populati- 

 ons, females could be slightly darker than males. Frost (1943) showed no difference in 

 color found between females and males. 



The type specimen of P. phoxinus is problematic. The specimens labeled "Cyprinus aphya" 

 (Catalogue no: ZIU 211) in the Zoological Museum of the University of Uppsala were 

 generally regarded as the type series of P. phoxinus because Cyprinus aphya was usually 

 considered a synonym of P. phoxinus (Wheeler 1991). However, these specimens are in 

 poor condition and difficult to identify, and no evidence shows whether these specimens 

 are the ones that Linnaeus used to describe C. aphya, or Cyprinus phoxinus, or neither 

 (Wheeler 1991). 



Etymology 



The epithet Phoxinus was derived from Greek, means tapering (Nelson & Paetz 1992). It 

 may refer to the body shape of the species. 



Phoxinus brachyurus Berg, 1912 



Synonymy 



Phoxinus brachyurus Berg, 1912 - Berg 1912: 241, fig. 16 (orig. desc; type locality: Chi- 

 lik River in the Hi basin, Kazakhstan); Berg 1932: 354, 365-366, fig.276; Berg 1949: 107, 

 121-122, fig.344 (Chilik River, Hi River; Basin of Chu River, Central Asia.); Yang & 

 Huang 1964: 22, 24-25, fig.1-13 (Hi River, Xinjiang, China); Howes 1985: 71 (name). 



Material studied 



MCZ 3006: 2 alch. and 1 C&S; Siberia, Lake Baikal, USSR; J. D. E. Schmeltz, Jr.; 1873. 

 - MMSU 3928: 1 alch; Russia; collection date unknown. 



