NO. 4 MYERS AND WADE : NEW GENERA AND SPECIES OF EELS 79 



monl}^ the case in Ophichthyids. Gill openings rather wide, lateral, ob- 

 lique, and curved ; the isthmus wide with no grooves across it, a slight 

 dermal fold behind the gill opening and another in front. Jugostegalia 

 faintly evident externally. Vomer with a single series of depressible teeth, 

 the anterior tooth longest. Pectoral fins reduced, small, less than the di- 

 ameter of the eye in length. Teeth all pointed, none molariform. Maxil- 

 lary teeth biserial, the rows separated by a narrow trough ; outer row of 

 smaller teeth, inner row larger. Mandibular teeth uniserial, a few ante- 

 rior ones larger. Two enlarged canines at the front of the upper jaw 

 immediately behind the anterior premaxillary teeth. Anterior nostrils tu- 

 bular, the lower part of the margin of each elongated into a pendant, 

 barbel-like flap. Posterior nostrils beneath the eye, slitlike, opening down- 

 ward, their position marked externally by rather conspicuous narial bar- 

 bels nearly half the eye diameter in length. Sides of snout constricted by 

 a groove just behind the anterior nostrils and by another just behind the 

 posterior nostrils. Snout from above not particularly pointed and more 

 rounded than in typical Ophichthyids. 



Distinguished from other genera of Ophichthyids by the narial bar- 

 bels, the rounded snout, equal jaws, the grooves behind the anterior and 

 posterior nostrils, and many other characters. 



Pogonophis fossatus, new species 

 Plate 13 



Holotype. — AHF no. 14. 



Type locality. —Station 780-38, 5° 33' 50'' N., 86° 58' 46" W., 

 dredged in 40-47 fms., Januarj^ 14, 1938. 



Paratypes. — 2 anterior portions of much larger specimens. Station 

 780-38, 5° 33' 50" N., 86° 58' 46" W., dredged in 40-47 fms., Januaiy 

 14, 1938. 



Measurements of the holotype in mm. — Length 108, head and trunk 

 52, tail 56, head 15, depth 6, cleft of mouth 6, snout 3, eye 1.8. 



Description. — Body elongate, cjdindrical, slightly compressed toward 

 the tip of tail. The tail slightly longer than head and trunk. Depth 18 

 in total length; head 7.2 in total length, 3.46 in head and trunk. Cleft 

 of mouth 2.5 in head, snout 5 in head, eye 1.66 in snout. Skin smooth and 

 naked. Jaws equal in length, snout not projecting. Dorsal fin low, in- 

 serted 1.5 times length of snout behind gill opening; it becomes niore" 'jgT^^s^ 



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