FAMILY, X— MUR^NID^. 663 



Genus, 5 — Saurenchelts, Peters. 



Crill-openlngs of a moderate width. Snout much produced. Nostrils lateral, the front one near the end of 

 syiout, the hind one close in front of orbit. Teeth rather small and in several rows. Pectoral Jins absent: vertical 

 Jms well developed. Air-vessel and pyloric appendages absent. Scaleless. 



Geographical distribiiiion. — Coromandel coast of India (and ? Mediterranean). 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Saurenchelys Petersi. Vertical fins with a dark edge. Sea at Madras. 



1. Saurenchelys Petersi, Plate CLXVIII, fig. 6. 



Length of head 2i times between end of snout and vent : length of trunk 3t times in that of the tail : 

 extent of the cleft of the mouth 1/2 the length of the head. Eyes — diameter 3 in the length of the snout, and 

 1 diameter apart. Teeth — canines present anteriorly: the vomerine teeth large, compi'essed, but without any 

 basal lobes. Fins — dorsal commences a short distance behind the gill-opening, it is low anteriorly becoming 

 gradually more developed, and is continuous posteriorly with the anal. Pectorals absent. Colours —AavsaX 

 fin with a dark edge, it and the anal become almost black in the last 1/4 of their extent. 



This fish appears very similar, if not identical, with S. aancrivora, Peters (Monat. Ak. Wiss. Berlin, 

 1864, p. 397), which however was believed to have been obtained from the Mediterranean. 



Hahitat. — The single example (figured life-size) was taken from the sea in Orissa. 



c— Heart close to gills. Nostrils labial. Tongue iwt free. Caudal fin continued round the end of tail : 

 pectorals present or absent. Scaleless. 



Genus, 6— MuRSNiCHTHTS, Bleeker. 



Body elongated and cylindrical. Gill-openings narrow. Eyes small. Nostrils on the edge of the upper javj. 

 Dorsal fin low or rudimentary, coinmencing a long distance posterrior to the gill-opening. Pectorals absent. 

 Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Mnrmnichthys Schultzei. Dorsal fin commences before the vent. Andamans to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



2. Murmnichthys vermiformis. Dorsal fin commences behind the vent. Ceylon. 



1 Mursenichthys Schultzei, Plate CLXIX, fig. 3. 



Murmnichthys Schultzei, Bleeker, Mur. p. 71, Visch. Batav. p. 506, Atl. Ich. iv, p. 33, 1. 148, f. 3 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. viii, p. 52. 



Length of head 2f to 3 in the distance between the end of the snout and the vent : length of the trunk 

 3/5 of that of the taU. Extent of cleft of mouth equals 1/3 of the length of the head. Eyes — of moderate 

 size, situated midway between the angle of the mouth and the end of the snout. Upper jaw somewhat the 

 longer. Teeth— in jaws pointed, in 3 rows, the inner the larger : the palatine teeth in two rows with obtuse 

 crowns. Fins — the dorsal low, commencing in the last 1/6 of the distance between the gill-opening and the 

 vent. Pectorals absent. Colours — brownish along the back, becoming of a yellowish green on the sides and 

 below. 



Habitat. — Andaman Islands to the Malay Archipelago. The single example (figured life-size) was 

 procured at the Andamans. 



2. Mursenichthys vermiformis. 



Chilorhinus (Murcenichthys) vermtformes, Peters, Monats. Ak. Wiss. Berl. 1866, p. 524. 

 ifmxenichthys vermiformis, Giinther, Catal. viii, p. 53. 



Angle of the mouth slightly posterior to the eye. Teeth in the jaws and on the vomer in a single row. 

 The origin of the dorsal fin behind the vent. 

 Habitat. — Ceylon. 



d. Heart close to gills. Nostrils labial. Tongue not free. End of tail free, being without fin rays : 

 pectorals when present rudimentary. Vomerine teeth present or absent. Scaleless. 



Genus, 7— Ophichthts, Aid. 

 Ophisurus PcBcilocephalus and Ccecilia, Lacep. : Coecula, Vahl. : Sphagebranchus, Bl. Schn. : Murcenopsis, 

 Lesueur : Drt/ojj/a's, Raff. : Le2Jtog nathus, Swuinson : Ap}tcrichthys, TluTaeril : Leptorliynclius, Smith : Ichilniapuf:, 

 Bris. de Bai-neville : Centrurophis, Paicilocephalus, Microdonophis, Cceciluphis, Herpetoicldhys, Brachysoinophis, 



