DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIB DISTRIBUTION. 147 



torals moderate, weak, or absent. Posterior nostrils in lip or near it; anterior nostrils 

 sometimes tabular. 



This family includes a large number of genera, of which seventeen are recognized by 

 Jordan and Davis in their paper on the Apodal Pishes of America and Europe, (iill groups 

 them in three subfamilies, as shown in the key already presented. * 



These apod als are found chiefly in warm seas. Only one genus of the typical Ophisu 

 roids, Pisoodonophis, is found at any distance below the surface. 



PISOODONOPHIS, Kaup. 



PisoodonophU, Kaup, Cat. Apodal Pish. Brit. Mus., 1856, 15.— Jordan and Davis, Rep. U. S. F. C, 1888 



(1891), 619. 

 Pisodontophii, GUNTHER, Cut. Fish. Brit. Mus., vm, 1870, 55. 



Ophichthyoid apodals, with tip of tail free. Dorsal and anal fins well developed, the 

 former low, beginning far back. Teeth blunt, granular; vomer with teeth. Pectoral fins 

 present, small. 



Of this genus, closely allied to Myrichthys, a single species has been found at consid- 

 erable depths in the western Atlantic. Four species from Indian seas are mentioned in 

 Giinther's "Catalogue," and he refers to a half-grown individual obtained from Grenada, 

 in the West Indies, which seemed to him identical with P. boro, the type of the genus. 

 /'. cruentifer, described by us below, is perhaps most closely allied to P. cancrivorm (Rich- 

 ardson), known from the East Indian Archipelago and Australia. 



PISOODONOPHIS CRUENTIFER, Goode and Bean, n. s. (Figure 166.) 



Length of the head equal to one-fourth of the distance from the gill opening to the 

 vent, and the length of the body about two-thirds that of the tail. The cleft of the mouth 

 is rather wide, measuring one-third of the length of the head, counting from the end of the 

 upper jaw. The snout is conical, depressed. The head is snake-like in appearance, with 

 powerful muscular enlargements of the cheeks and a constriction behind the head some- 

 what like that of Derichthys. Eye moderate, its length half that of the snout, and one- 

 tenth that of the head. Teeth granular, in conspicuous bands, a small oblong patch on the 

 premaxillaries and a long band upon the vomer. The length of the pectoral fin is about 

 two-sevenths that of the head. It is broad, spatulate. The dorsal begins far behind the 

 tip of the pectoral, its distance from the tip of the snout being one-seventh of the total 

 length, or from gill opening to dorsal origin two-thirds length of head. Dorsal and anal 

 fins of moderate height. 



Color uniform brownish yellow. 



This species has been found in the following localities: Types, two specimens, No. 28938, 

 station 1035 of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Fish Hawk, were taken in N. hit. 39° 

 57', W. Ion. G9° 28', in 120 fathoms. Another specimen was taken by the same steamer in 

 about the same locality, No. 30233, and three others, No. 31711, in N. lat. 39° 56', W. Ion. 

 70° 35', in a depth of 245 fathoms. The types of the description are lOg and 14^ inches 

 long. 



The peculiar and savage physiognomy of this fish suggests at once the idea that it is a 

 parasitic boring form, and in confirmation of this we have specimens taken by the fishermen 

 on Jeffrey's Bank and also another from New Bedford, taken by Mr. J. H. Thompson from 

 the body of a fish. We have occasionally taken the dried and shriveled remains of a fish 

 apparently closely related to this from salted halibut and codfish. 



MYRUS, Kaup. 



Myrus, Kaup, Cat. Apod., 1856, 31.— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vm. 19. 



Echehu, Kai im sque, Caratteri, etc., 1810, 64 (in part). — Blekkkh, Atlas Ichth. Murenes, 1864, 30. — Jordan 

 & Davis, Rep. U. S. F. O. 1888 (1891), 64. 



Body elongate, subterete, with tail longer than rest of body. Dorsal origin well for. 

 ward, close behind base of pectoral. Nostrils on, or very close to, the margin of the upper 



