358 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



169. C<ECLT,A VaLl. 



(Sphagcbranclnus Bloch & Schneider.) 



(Vahl, Skrivt. Xatnrh. Selsk. iii, 1794, 149: type Coecula ptenjgcra Vahl=TZ>atop/ii8 

 ]>olii<>]>ht]niliii)in Blccker.) 



Body extremely slender. Teeth equal, small, conical, on jaws and 

 vomer. Nostrils labial. Tongue not free at tip. Pectoral fins wanting 

 or rudimentary; dorsal fin present. Extremity of tail free. Gill- 

 openings small, separated by a narrow isthmus. Eyes small. (Latin, 

 ca'cus, blind.) 



581. C. scuticaris (Goode & Bean) J. &. G. 



Brownish, paler below. Teeth small, conical, in two series on jaws 

 and vomer. Gill-openings close together. Dorsal fin beginning far in 

 advance of the gill-opening, a little nearer- the tip of the snout than the 

 gill-opening, at a distance from the former equal to three times the 

 length of the snout. Ilead SJ in distance from gill-opening to vent, 

 and 8 in tail. Snout pointed, G in head. Pectorals extremely small, 

 their length less than ^ the total length. (Goode & Bean.} 



(SpJiaycbranchus scuiicarls Goodo &, Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1^79, 344.) 



170. OPIIICHTIIYS AM. 



(02>hisurus Lac6pede.) 



(Ahl, Spccim. L-lith. 1789, 9.) 



Body elongate, naked. Teeth all pointed; vomerine teeth present. 

 Nostrils labial. Tongue not free at tip. Dorsal and anal fins present; 

 pectoral fins developed. End of tail not sin-rounded by the fin. Spe- 

 cies very numerous, found in all warm seas. ("9'':?, snake; t%0u;, fish.) 



'Canine t, eth very distinct. (Muxtrit>i>lii>t* Kaup.) 

 t'lVH !i in earh ja\v in a double scries. 



>. O. pamctifcr (Kaup) .iiutln-r. 



Snout n:irro\ved, sliort, spoon-shaped, twice as long as the eye. Cleft 

 of the mouth very wide. Teeth pointed, fixed, unequal in si/e, those 

 of the pivmaxillary in a, single, arched series, the foremost being the 

 lonp-st of all the teeth; outer series of teeth ill jaws with canines; 

 vomerine teeth 1 riserial, rather small. Lips not fringed. (Jill-openings 

 wide. Origin of the dorsal tin at some distance, behind the pectoral, 

 which is well developed. Tail somewhat longer than the body. 



* K':ni]>, Apodc;. 1-7,1;. ID: typ,- (>])hinnntn ro-tli -Unfiit Rich. (nvGrp or, spoon; o<j>i? t 

 snake; I'nuii I lie imni of tlie snout.) 



