RAZOR CARP. 



225 



proportion : snout more obtuse ; beards longer, 

 and eyes larger : dorsal fin situated lower than in 

 the Barbel. Found in the rivers runninfi: into the 

 Caspian sea, particularly in the Cyrus. 



RAZOR CARP. 



Cyprinus Cultratus. C. argenteo-coerulescens capite parvo^ corpore 



compresso, abdomine carinato. 

 Silvery-blueish Carp, small head, compressed body, and carin- 



ated abdomen. 



Cyprinus cultratus. C. pinna ani radiis triginta, linea laterali 



declinafa, ventre acutissimo. Lin. S;^st. Nat. p. 531. 

 Cyprinus pinna dorsi anali opposita. Block. t.S^. 



This species is of a lengthened form, and of a 

 remarkably compressed shape, with the back nearly 

 strait, the abdomen projecting downwards; and 

 forming a sharp keel on the lower part : the head 

 is small, with the mandibles turning upwards, and 

 in shape resembling those of a Herring : the eyes 

 are large and silvery : the body of similar colour, 

 with a slight cast of dusky blue above : the scales 

 middle-sized, thin, and deciduous, and the lateral 

 line remarkably flexuous, descending first pretty 

 deeply from the gill-covers, and from thence con- 

 tinuing with an unequal flexure to the tail, which 

 is pretty strongly forked : the dorsal fin is small, 

 and situated very low on the back, or at no great 

 distance from the tail : the anal fin is shallow and 

 subfalcated ; the pectoral rather large and lanceo- 

 late, and the ventral smaller, but of nearly similar 

 shape : all the fins are of a pale or whitish colour. 



V. V. p. I. 15 



