53. ANGUILLHLE - SIMENCHELYS. 363 



as long as the head. Teeth in a single series on the sides of the jaw, in 

 a broad patch at the tip. Cleft of mouth extending to beyond the mid- 

 dle of the rather large eye. Jaws equal or the lower included. Dis- 

 tance from snout to vent three times the length of the head. Head 7. 

 L. 50 inches. Europe, to South America and East Indies, frequently 

 taken on our Atlantic coast. We are unable to detect any difference 

 between American and European examples. It sometimes reaches a 

 length of 8 feet. 



(Ancjmlla conger L. Syst. Nat. : Murwna nigra Eisso, Ichth. Nice, 1810, 93: Conger vul- 

 garis Cuvier, Eegue Anim. 1817 : Anguilla oceanica Mitchill, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. i, 407 : 

 Conger ocddcntalis Dekay, N. Y. Fauna, Fishes, 314, 1S42: Conger vulgaris Giinther, viii, 

 33: Conger occanicus Gill, Kept. Com. Fisheries for 1871-72, 811'.) 



175. SIOTEWCHEI/rS Gill. 



Pug-nosed Eels. 



(Gill MS. ; Goode & Bean, Bull. Essex Inst. si, 1879, 27 : type Simenclielys parasiticus Gill. ) 

 Body eel-shaped, covered with linear imbedded scales, disposed at 

 right angles as in Anguilla. Lateral line present, faint. Head very 

 short, rounded, very blunt anteriorly, slightly compressed. Mouth 

 small, entirely anterior. Premaxillaries and maxillaries of each side 

 side coalesced and separated from those of the other side by the eth- 

 moid. Jaws equal, their edges hard, provided with a single series of 

 small, rounded, close-set, incisor-like teeth. No vomerine teeth. Tongue 

 broad, somewhat free anteriorly. Mandible very deep and strong. 

 Operculuin sabre-shaped. Gill-openings very small, inferior, longi- 

 tudinal, well separated, situated in front of the pectorals and below 

 them. Both nostrils large, the anterior with a slight rim, but no tube. 

 Lips full. Pectorals short ; vertical fins confluent around the tail, the 

 dorsal beginning not far behind pectorals ; vent in front of anal, near 

 middle of body. One species known, probably the type of a distinct 

 family. (T^-"?, pug-nosed; e^Aur, eel.) 



5 9. S. parasiticus Gill. 



Dark brown, nearly plain. Eye rather large, anterior, but behind the 

 angle of the mouth, scarcely shorter than the snout. Head i length of 

 trunk; about distance from snout to origin of dorsal; width of gill 

 slit equaling diameter of orbit ; interorbital space nearly half length of 

 head. Yent not much in advance of middle of body. Dorsal begin- 

 ning just behind tips of pectorals; fins rather low. Off-shore banks, 

 south of Newfoundland ; abundant. Individuals have been found bur- 

 rowing in the flesh of the halibut. 



(Gill, MS. in Goode & Bean, Bull. Essex lust, xi, 27, 1878.) 



