31 FISHES OK SINALOA. 403 



Family MURyENESOCID^. 



37. Muraenesox coniceps Jordan & Gilbert. Culevra 

 Blanca, Anguila Blanca. 



Very common about the islands in the neighborhood of 

 Mazatlan. It reaches an enormous size, a specimen ob- 

 tained by us being 6 feet and 10 inches long and having 

 a girth of 22 inches. 



Family CHANID^. 



38. Chanos chanos (Forskal). Sabalo. 



Very common on the sandy shores of the bay, reaching 

 length of about 5 feet. The flesh is poor, and the fish is 

 seldom brought into the market, but is frequently used as 

 bait. The hard enamelled scales are used for orna- 

 mental work by the Indians. We are unable to see any 

 difference between our specimens and others brought by 

 Dr. Jenkins from the Hawaiian Islands. We have no 

 doubt that our species is identical with the common East 

 Indian form. 



Head 4-S ; depth 4; D. 2, 12; A. 2, 9; V. 12; scales 

 12-70-14; snout 334 in head; eye y/ 2 ; maxillary 4^'; 

 pectoral i| ; ventral if; caudal % longer than head; 

 dorsal 1% in head. 



Body elliptical, moderately compressed, the caudal pe- 

 duncle slender. Head pointed, rounded above. Eye and 

 side of head covered by a large transparent, imperforate 

 adipose eyelid. Mouth small, terminal, toothless, trans- 

 verse, the lower jaw included; maxillary broad, slipping 

 under the adipose preorbital, without supplemental bone. 

 Branchiostegals 4. Opercle truncate behind. Pseud- 

 branchise very large. Gill-rakers fine and flexible, very 

 close set, rather long, the gill-rakers of all the arches 

 bound together so as to form a perfect strainer. Bones 



