DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AKD THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 143 



SYNAPHOBRANCHUS PINNATUS, (Gronovius), GCntiier. (Figure 164.) 



Murwiia })!nnata, Gronovius, Syst. Ichth. (ed. Gray), 19. 



SynaphubraHclius })iiinntii.t, GCnther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mas., 1870, viii, 23; Challenger Report, xxir, 253, pi. 

 i.xii, fig. A.— GooDE ami Bean, Bull. Essex Inst. 1879, xi, 26; Hull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 1883, x, 223.— 

 Vaii.l.\nt, Exp. Sci. Travailleur et Talisman, Poiss., 88, pi. vi, figs. 2, 2a, 2b, 2c. 



Synapluibninchiis Kaupii, JonN'soX, Proe. Zoiil. Soc., 1862, 169. 



Synuphubruiicliiis affuiis, Gunther, Ann. ami Mag. Nat. Hist., 1877, xx, 445. 



Jaws subequal in length, sometimes the lower, sometimes the upper the longer ; the upper 

 with a projectiug fleshy tip; maxillary reaching to opposite gill openings, which are rather 

 longer than the large eye. Head 3J in distance from snout to dorsal, iJf in distance to anal, 

 8§ in length. Vomerine teeth uniserial. Eye broader than interorbital space, rather neai'er 

 tip of snout than end of maxillary. Tail about twice as long as body. Pectoral slender, 

 longer than snout. Uniform brown, rather darker below; the vertical flns darker behind, 

 light-edged anteriorly; inside of mouth blue-black; gill openings dark. 



This remarkable eel was first made known by the Madeiran iclithyologists, Lowe and 

 Johnson, by whom it was found at 740 fathoms and in intermediate depths. The Challenger 

 obtained it near the coast of Brazil, in 1,200 fathoms; off Jiipau, in 345 to 565 fathoms; and 

 about the Philippines, in 375 to 500 fathoms. Its presence in the western Atlantic was first 

 detected by the Cape Ann fishermen, who in 1879 began bringing them in from the offshore 

 banks, where they had been taken on trawl lines at 200 to 300 fathoms. In 1879 the Fish 

 HawJc took it often in 2.50 to 305 fathoms, and subsequently the Albatross and the Blalce 

 brought it in from numerous stations at depths of 300 to 1,000 fathoms. The Travailleur 

 and Talisman took it in numerous localities ; off Morocco, 912-2,210 meters ; off the Canaries, 

 865-2,083 meters; off Soudan, 882-1,435 meters; on the Banc d'Arguiu, 1,113-1,550; off 

 the Cape Verdes, 405-3,200; off the Azores, 1,257-2,235 meters. 



Specimens of this species were obtained by the Blahe ft-om the following localities: 

 Station cccix, in 38° 18' 40" N. lat., 73° 18' 10" W. Ion., at a depth of 304 fathoms; Sta- 

 tion ccciii, in 410 34' 30" K lat., 65° 54' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 306 fathoms; Station 

 cccxii, in 39° 50' 45" N. lat., 70° 11' W. Ion., at a depth of 466 fathoms; Station cccxxv, 

 m 33° 35' 20" N. lat., 76° W. Ion., at a depth of 647 fathoms; Station cccxxxvii, in 38° 20' 

 08" N. lat., 730 23' 20" W. Ion., at a depth of 740 fathoms; Station cccxxvi, 33° 42' 15" N. 

 lat., 76° 50" W. Ion., at a depth of 464 fathoms; Station cocxxix, in 34° 39' 40" K. lat, 

 750 14' 40" W. Ion., at a depth of 603 fiithoms; also five specimens, locality unknown. 



Sitecimens wei'e also seciu-ed by the Fish Hawl- fiom station 881, in 39° 46' 30" N. lat., 

 70° 54' W. Ion., at a depth of 325 fathoms; Cat. No. 26108, U. S. N. M., from station 880, 

 in 390 48' 30" K. lat., 70© 54' W. Ion., at a depth of 252 J fathoms; Oat. No. 28746, U. S. N. 

 M., from station 925 in 39° 55' N. lat., 70° 47' W. Ion., at a depth of 224 fathoms; Cat. No. 

 26736, U. S. N. M., from station 898, in 37° 24' N. lat., 74° 17' W. Ion., at a depth of 300 

 fathoms; Cat. No. 28796, U. S. N. M., from station 947, in 39° 53' 30" N. lat., 71° 13' 30" 

 W. Ion., at a depth of 319 fathoms; Cat. No. 28759, U. S. N. M., fi-om station 937, in 39° 

 49' 25" N. lat., 69° 49' W. Ion., at a depth of 616 fathoms; Cat. No. 29072, U. S. N. M., from 

 station 1049, in 38o 28' N. lat., 73© 22 W. Ion., at a depth of 435 fathoms; Oat. No. 28944, 

 U. S. N. M., from .station 1030, in 39° 58' 30" N. lat., 69° 15' W, Ion., at a depth of 337 

 ftvthoms; Oat. No. 31777, IT. S. N. M., from station 1142, in 39° 32' N. lat., 72© W. Ion., at a 

 depth of 322 fathoms; Cat. No. 31769, U. S. N. M., from station 1143, in 39© 29' N. latl, 72© 

 01' W. Ion., at a depth of 452 fiithoms; Cat. No. 28895, U. S. N. M., from station 997, in 39© 

 42' N. lat., 71© 32' W. Ion., at a depth of 335 fathoms; Cat. No. 28914, TJ. S. N. M., from 

 station 994, in 39© 40' N. lat., 71© 30' W. Ion., at a depth of 368 fatlumis; Cat. No. 28944, 

 U. S, N. M., from station 1030, in 39© 58' 30" N. lat., 09© 15' W. Ion., at a depth of 337 

 fathoms; Oat. No. 26737, U. S. N. M., from station 898, in 37© 24' N, lat., 74© 17' W. Ion., 

 at a depth of 300 fathoms; Cat. No. 28930, U. S. N. M., from station 1028, in 39© 57' N. lat., 

 69© 17' W. Ion., at a depth of 410 fathoms; Oat. No. 31598, U. S. N. M., from station 1093, 

 in 390 56' N. lat., 69© 45' W. Ion., in 349 fathoms; Cat. No. 31776, U. S. N. M., from station 

 1138, in 390 39' N. lat., 71© 54' W. Ion., at a depth of 168 fathoms; Cat. No. 28940, U. S. N. 



