362 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



174. CONGER* Cuvhr. 

 Conger Eels. 



(Cuvier, Ee.^no Aniiu. II, 1917: type Alurccna conger Liun, etc.) 



Body Ibnueil as in Anyuilla, the skin scaleless. Head depressed 

 above, anteriorly pointed. Lateral line present. Mouth wide, its cleft 

 extending at least to below the middle of the eye. Teeth in the outer 

 series in each jaw equal and close-set, forming a cutting-edge. No 

 canines. Band of vomerine teeth short. Tongue anteriorly free. Ver- 

 tical li ns well developed, confluent around the tail; pectoral fins well 

 developed; dorsal beginning close behind pectorals. Gill-openings 

 rather large, low. Eyes well developed. Posterior nostril near eye; 

 anterior near the tip of the snout, with a short tube. Lower jaw not- 

 projecting. Skeleton different in numerous respects from that of An- 

 (/ nil Id. Vertebrae about 56+100. In most warm seas. 



The name Leptocephalus was first given to a peculiar band-shaped, 

 pellucid, worm-like animal, the type of a considerable group of fishes, 

 the LeptocephalidcB or Helmichthyidce, which has been made to constitute 

 a distinct order, Letnniscati. It has, however, been satisfactorily shown 

 by Carus, Gill, Giinther, and others, that these singular forms are not 

 distinct species, but are early stages in the development of other fishes, 

 Leptocephalus morris-it, of Coiujcr nigcr, and the others of various Au- 

 guilloid, Stomiatoid, and Clupeoid Conns. (See Giiuther, viii, 130.) It 

 is thought by Dr. Giinther lhat the Leptocephalid forms are probably 

 "individuals arrested in the development at a very early period of their 

 life, yet continuing to grow to a certain size, without corresponding 

 development of their internal organs, ;md perishing without having at- 

 tained the characters of the perfect animal." (X^/JCT, Conger, the an- 

 cient name of the Conger Eel.) 



5. C. iiigcr (Risso) J. & (',. <;,,/,, /:,/. 



Dark brown above, lower part* soiled white; dorsal and anal pale, 

 with a blaek margin (sometimes uniform black); pectorals dusky, edged 

 with paler; poi-es of lateral line whitish. Dorsal inserted over the pos- 

 terior margin of the pectoral, or slightly behind it; pectoral one-third 



*Tlm prior naan 1 CeptOOepAoZltt (Gmelin, Sysl. Nat. i, 11. "id, 1?s,<; typu Leptoccphalut 

 mnrrixi (linrl., an arrested larval form of I'mii/ir) should, in strid nrss, sii]n'rsiulo Con- 



<jir. 'I'll'- ii.-.i- of (lie li-nn foi- t In- ailull normal lish \vonhl, ho\\ r\i-r ? lead 1o confusion, 

 a-. I.ijitncffiliiilii.1 has for nearly :i lniinln-d .\jars lici-n ajijilifd lo various singular 

 orgauisms, lately shown to l>r nndrvclopi-d 1'oniis of cd.s and of ccrlaiu Isospondyli. 



