J'ISHES. CHONDROPTERIGIOUS. 66. Acipenfer. 91 1 
ORDER VI. CHONDROPTERIGIOUS. 
Gills cartilaginous, 
66 . ACIPENSER. Head ohtn^Q'. mouthho.- 
neath the head; retradile, without 
teeth : cirri between the end of the 
. fnout and the mouth 4 ; aperture of 
the gills on each fide : body elon- 
gated, angulate with numerous rows 
of large bony plates. Sturgeon. 
Thcfe may be ranked among the larger fifh ; are inhabitants of 
the fea, but afcend rivers annually ; the flefh of all of them 
is moft delicious ; from the roe is made Caviare, and from 
the founds and mufcular parts is made IJinglaJs ; they feed on 
worms and other Efhes ; the females are larger than the 
males. 
Snout obtufe, tranfverfe diameter of the mouth equal to its 
length ; cirri nearer the tip of the fnout ; lips bifid. 
° Conimm St. 
Inhabits European, Mediterranean, Red, Black and Cafpian 
feas, and annually afcends rivers in the fpring; 6— 18 feet 
long ; body 5-fided and armed with 5 rows of bony tuber- 
cles which are radiate and end in a recurved point at the 
top,’ one of which row is on the back, 2 on the fides, and 2 
on the margin of the belly back and fides with brownifit 
% fpots ; is How, very fertile, and preys on other fiih ; dorfal 
fin with 38 rays. 
Snout obtufe, a third part longer than the diameter of the 
mouth; cirri nearer the end of the fnout ; lips bmd- 
Inhabits the Cafpian fea and large lakes of Siberia j hardly 
5 feet long ; may pollibly be only the younger fi(h of 
the laft. 
Ruthenus, 
