189 



ii. Pectorals absent : vent nearly tliree-quarters of a bead-length 

 behind the gill-openings 

 3. The distance of the vent from the gill-opening is either equal to or 

 very much more than the distance between the gill-opening and the 

 tip of the snout : the nostrils are distant from one another : — 



i. Gill-openings united in a longitudinal slit: STNAPHOBRAN- 



CHINA 

 ii. Gill-openings separate : — 



a. Nostrils superior or lateral : tongue free : vertical fins con- 

 fluent round the tip of the tail : pectoral fins present : 

 ANGUILL1NA :— 



a. Scaleless : the cleft of the mouth extends slightly beyond 

 the middle of the eye : — 

 Teeth in a single series in the jaws ; none on the vomer 

 Teeth in bands in the jaws ; vomerine teeth 

 Teeth in the jaws biserial ; vomerine teeth 

 p. Scaleless : the cleft of the mouth reaches the eye : teeth 

 in the jaws in broad bands, and in a broad confluent 

 patch on the palate ... 



b. Nostrils superior or lateral : tongue not free, or if free curi- 

 ously truncated : vertical fins confluent round the tip of the 

 tail: no scales: MUR^ENESOCINA :— 



a. Pectorals present : snout of good length but not bill-like : 

 teeth in the mandible and maxilla practically uniserial ; 

 a single row of teeth in the vomer 



j3. Pectorals present : snout very long almost bill-like : 

 teeth in the jaws in broad bands and very sharp : a 

 single row of teeth in the vomer. Maxilla with a broad 

 longitudinal groove, running the whole length of the 

 bone and dividing the band of teeth into two portions ... 



y. Pectorals absent : snout very long aud bill-like : teeth 

 in the jaws in two or three series, small and sharp : a 

 lone row of enlarged teeth on the vomer : no air-bladder 



8. Pectorals absent : snout very long and bill-like : small 

 stout conical teeth in very broad bands in the jaws and 

 vomer: air-bladder present : lateral line indistinct 



Dysommopsis. 



Synaphorrancbus. 



coloconger. 



congromcr&na. 



Uroconger. 



PrOMYLLAN TOR. 



Sauromurj:nesox. 



Xenomystax. 



Sadrenchelys. 



Nettenchelys. 



Nemichthyina, Gunther. 



Nemichthys, Richardson. 



Nemichthys, Richardson, Samarang Pishes, p. 25 : Gunther, Cat. Fishes, VIII. p. 21 : Goode and Bean, Oceanic 

 Ichthyology, p. 151 : Jordan and Evermann, Pishes of N. Amer., p. 369. 

 Leptorhynchus, Lowe, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. X. 1852, p. 54. 

 Belonopsis, Brandt. Mem. Ac. Petergb. Sav. Strang. VII. 1854, p. 171. 

 Investigator, Goode and Bean, Oceanic Ichthyology, p. 518. 



Body exceeding elongate, tail lash-like. No scales. Lateral line distinct. 

 Vent near the gill-opening and pectorals, at the anterior end of the long 

 abdominal cavity. 



