NO. 7 wade: eastern pacific apodal fishes 197 



pectoral fin, and longer snout. From R. nystromi it differs in having a 

 longer, more pointed vomerine band of teeth, smaller mouth, shorter eye, 

 less projecting snout, and a more anteriorly inserted dorsal. From 

 R. ectenurus, catalinensis differs in having a more posteriorly inserted 

 dorsal fin, shorter head and trunk, heavier less tapering tail, and a shorter 

 snout. 



Heterocongridae 



Genus TAENIOGONGER Herre 



Taenioconger Herre, 1923, p. 152 (type by original designation 

 T. chapmani Herre). 



Body greatly elongate, subcylindrical anteriorly, becoming compressed 

 posteriorly on tail. Tail from nearly twice to more than twice length of 

 head and trunk. Vent far behind gill-openings. Dorsal confluent with 

 anal around tip of tail. Dorsal origin over or slightly behind gill-opening. 

 Pectoral fins present, minute, ventral fins absent. Mouth oblique, lower 

 jaw projecting. Teeth on vomer and jaws in narrow bands of small, 

 pointed, close-set teeth. Tongue free. Gill-openings small, lateral. 



Whether or not the nostrils are paired in this genus is not definitely 

 known. The generic description was made from a single specimen in 

 which the snout was badly damaged and the presence or absence of 

 anterior nostrils could not be determined. In 1923 Pellegrin described the 

 anterior nostrils of T. digueti as tubular, situated on the lip at the tip of 

 the snout, near the median line, and close to the one of the opposite side. 

 The specimen of T. herrei described here, while small, is large enough to 

 easily distinguish the posterior nostrils and pores on the head, but a most 

 careful examination fails to reveal the presence of anterior nostrils. 



Taenioconger herrei, new species 

 Plate 27, figs. 1-3 



Holotype.—ARY no. 904. 



Type locality. — Station 516-36, San Francisco Island, Gulf of Cali- 

 fornia, Mexico, dredged 125-150 fms, February 25, 1936. 



Measurements of holotype in mm. — Total length 144.5, head and 

 trunk 54, tail 90.5, head 12, eye 2.9, snout 1.15, gape of mouth 2.9, 

 depth 3.1, gill-opening 0.9, pectoral length 1. 



Diagnosis. — Body very elongate, tail much longer than head and 

 trunk, 1.6 in total length. Dorsal origin over pectoral base, confluent 

 with anal around tip of tail. Minute pectoral fins present. Lateral line 



