FISHES—CYPRINIDAE—CERATICHTHYS. 
253 
The caudal fin is moderately furcated ; the dorsal is higher, and the anal deeper, than long. 
The pectorals and ventrals are small ; the tips of the latter not extending to the vent. The 
number of the rays of the fins scarcely undergoes any variations. In the present species they 
stand as follows: 
D 2, 8 + 1 ; A 2, 8 + 1; C 6, 1, 9, 8, 1, 5 ; V 1, 8 ; P 15. 
Two rudimentary rays in front of both the dorsal and anal, one of which is very exiguous. 
The scales are more uniformly imbricated than in L. dissimilis and L. pallidus , where a noted- 
difference is observed in that respect between the anterior and posterior regions of the body. 
The color of the hack is brownish grey, the sides and belly being silvery white. The 
anterior margin of the dorsal and the base of the caudal exhibit, each, a black spot. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Cor. No. 
of teeth. 
No. of 
epee. 
Age. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Nature of 
specimen. 
Collected by— 
177 
2741 
10 
Adult & youug. 
Fort Pierre, Nebr.. 
1854 
Dr. John Evans.. 
Alcoholic . 
Dr. John Evans.. 
CERATICHTHYS, Baird. 
Gen. Char. —Body elongated, fusiform or sub-fusiform, somewhat compressed. Head flattened "above, very declivous 
anteriorly, with the snout rounded and overlapping the lower jaw. Mouth moderate in size, sub-terminal and horizontal, 
provided with a barbel at its angle, and inserted upon the extremity of the maxillar bone. Eye approximating the upper 
surface of the head, and rather moderate in size. The isthmus is wide. The insertion of the ventrals is even with a vertical 
line drawn from the anterior margin of the dorsal fin. The latter is higher, and the anal deeper, than long. The scales are 
large, and the lateral line nearly straight along the middle of the flanks. The pharyngeal bones are pretty stout upon their 
convexity, which is very slightly expanded, whilst the upper and lower branches are nearly equally developed, the latter, however, 
more slender. The teeth are stoutish, compressed, of the prehensile kind of the hooked type, generally without grinding 
surface. Sometimes, however, a grinding surface may be observed upon some of the teeth which are subject to some variations, 
being compressed or else sub-conical, generally hooked, and occasionally conical. They are disposed upon a single row: 4—4. 
Syn. — Ceralichthys, Bo. Mss.— Gkd. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. VIII, 1856, 212. 
The abbreviated and rounded head, which hears a great resemblance to that of several species 
of Blennius, is a trait which will at once enable to distinguish this genus so soon as it is known 
to he a cyprinoid. There are other genera in the cyprinoid family having a rather short and 
rounded head, hut none in which the hlennioid fascies is so well marked. 
The species of this genus are, as yet, hut very imperfectly known. Rafinesque has indicated 
some of them under various names; his Ltutilus amblops is one. Dr. Jared P. Ivirtland has 
described another under the name of Semotilus liguttatus. Another, still, has been briefly 
characterized by me as C. leptocephalus, in the “Proceedings of the Academy of Natural 
Sciences of Philadelphia, vol. VIII, 1856, 212.” 
A specimen, three inches long, collected near the mouth of Poteau creek, Arkansas, by Dr. 
George G. Shumard, being, according to all probabilities, immature, we must defer its descrip¬ 
tion to a future occasion. 
