A NG UILLIFORMES 



407 



Family SYNAPHOBRANCHIDAE. Deep-sea forms in which the pterygo- 

 palatine arch is lost, and the branchial openings are confluent below. 

 There are small scales. 



Synaphobranchus, Johns. 



Family SACCOPHARYNGIDAE. Extraordinarily modified deep-sea eels 

 with a much-reduced skeleton. The mouth is enormously enlarged, the 

 palato-quadrate arch incomplete, the hyomandibular very movable, and 

 the jaws greatly lengthened (Fig. 401, D). Mere loose rods represent the 

 gill-arches, and the branchiostegals have been lost. 



A small flexible snout overhangs the mouth, and close behind it are 

 the small eyes. 



Saccopharynx, Mitch. (Fig. 401, D); Ewypharynx,Vai\\. ; Macropharynx, 

 Br. ; Gastrostomns, G. and R. Atlantic. 



2 3 



20 



Fiu. 40:?. 



Left-side view of skull and hyoid arch of the Conger Eel, Conger vulgaris, Cuv. 1, vomer ; 

 2, preorbital ; 3, na.sal ; 4, ethmoid ; 5, frontal ; (5, postfrontal ; 7, parietal ; 8 and !>, supni- 

 occipital ; 10, pterotic ; 11, hyomandibular ; 12, epibranchial ; 13, opercular ; 14, branehiostegal ; 

 15, subopercular ; 10, interopercular ; 17, preopercular ; 18, angular ; 19, urohyal ; 20, cerato- 

 hyal ; 21, articular ; 22, basihyal ; 23, dentary ; 24, maxilla; 25, pterygoid ; 26, quadrate ; 27, 

 parasphenoid. 



GROUP B. COLOCEPHALI. 



The head is much compressed, the palatal bones very abnormal, 

 and the place of the premaxilla and maxilla seems to be taken by 

 the toothed ethmo - vomer and pterygoid. Behind the palato- 

 pterygoid arch is incomplete ; the hyomandibular bearing the 

 quadrate is firmly attached to the skull. The opercular bones 

 are all present, but very small. The mouth is often provided 

 with very formidable teeth pointing backwards. The branchial 



