THE 
RON DELETIAN CARP. 
****•**#*.****$■***** 
Spur-fish. 
Edw. pi. 282 . 
This singular fish seems to have been first de¬ 
scribed by the celebrated Rondcletius, from a living- 
specimen, brought into the fish-market at Lyons 
at the time his work was printing. 
No one, says he, who saw the fish, (supposing 
the head taken away,) would imagine it to be any 
thing but a Carp, which it exactly resembles in the 
shape and colour of its scales, and situation of the 
fins and tail. The dorsal fin at its commencement 
has a strong serrated spine, as in the Carp, and a 
similar one at the commencement of the vent-fin, 
which latter, as well as the tail, is of a reddish co¬ 
lour, and shaped like that of a Carp: at the gills 
are two fins, and likewise two at the abdomen: the 
head is not stretched forwards as in the Carp, but 
resembles that of a Dolphin ; having a longish but 
obtuse snout, as represented in the figure: from the 
upper part of the snout, on each side the opening 
of the mouth, hangs a fleshy appendix or beard, as 
in the Carp, and above this, on each side, is a much 
smaller one, scarce perceptible without close in¬ 
spection. 
