NO. 7 WADE: EASTERN PACIFIC APODAL FISHES 193 



Unless clearly evident interspaces occur between the tooth bands, or 

 there are distinct and easily recognizable differences between the teeth of 

 the various bands, it seems preferable to consider these closely united 

 anterior teeth as a single unit and to abandon the unavoidable incon- 

 sistency of personal interpretation and judgment. 



Rhynchoconger is almost certainly a synonym of Rhynchocymba. The 

 principal differences between the two genera, according to Jordan and 

 Hubbs ( 1925, p. 191 ), are the widely separated maxillaiy bands, a longer 

 premaxillary patch of teeth, and a pair of enlarged pores between the 

 anterior nostrils of Rhynchoconger. As already indicated, the pre- 

 maxillary-vomerine teeth of Rhynchocymba are not divided by the 

 anterior ends of the maxillary bands as formerly supposed, but are con- 

 tinuous. The maxillary bands are widely separated by the continuous 

 premaxillaiy-vomerine teeth and are closely appressed to the sides of this 

 band. The writer, for reasons already given, prefers to consider the 



I anterior maxillary teeth of both of these genera as a single unit of closely 

 united teeth, similar, if not identical, in structure. Contrary to the original 

 generic description of Rhynchocymba, a pair of enlarged pores are present 

 between the anterior nostrils and seem to be similar to those of Rhyncho- 

 conger. Differences in the length of the premaxillary patch of teeth would 

 seem to be of specific rather than generic value. Two minor characters, 

 the shape of the posterior nostrils and the presence of a keel or a pocket 

 on the anteroventral surface of the snout, have already been discussed and, 

 even if proved to be consistent in shape and structure, can hardly be con- 

 sidered of sufficient importance to be of generic rank. It is interesting to 

 note that, in the new species of Rhynchocymba described in this paper, the 



1 ventral surface of the snout has a veiy shallow fold or pocket, which by 

 careful manipulation of a needle can be raised into a so-called "fleshy 

 keel." It is evident that the various stresses imposed upon the loose skin 

 of the snout during the process of preservation play an important part m 

 determining the structure of this character, as well as the shape of the 

 posterior nostrils. 



Erroneously placed in the family Muraenesocidae by Breder (1927, 



' p. 6), Pseudoxenomystax was referred by Parr (1932) to the list of 

 genera inquirenda of the Congrid genus Ariosoma. In 1934 Reid removed 



i it from this genus and placed it in synonymy with Congrina, basing his 

 decision upon a study of the original figure and description, and especially 



F| upon Parr's remarks concerning the genus. How Reid reached this con- 

 clusion is not clear to the present author, for the characters used by him in 



