272 MALACOPTERYGIl. — MUR^NAD^. 



The Bearded Ophidium {Ophidium harhatum, 

 Linn.) is a native of the Mediterranean, but is 

 said to have occurred on the coast of Britain. It 



OPHIDIUM. 



growls to eight or nine inches in length, and is of 

 a silvery flesh-colour, slightly mottled with brown. 

 It feeds on small fishes and Crustacea ; its flesh, 

 though eaten, is in little esteem, being coarse and 

 ill-flavoured. 



Family XI. Mur^nad.^. 



{Eels.) 



Like the preceding Family the Eels have a 

 serpent-like body, lengthened, and more or less 

 cylindrical. They are covered with a thick, soft, 

 slimy skin, in which their scales are deeply im- 

 bedded, and scarcely to be detected. The oper- 

 culum and gills are concealed ; the former being 

 covered with the common skin, while the gill- 

 aperture is very small, and placed far back. 

 Hence, on the principle already explained, these 

 fishes are capable of surviving a protracted depri- 

 vation of their ordinary element. The ventral 

 fins are always w^anting; as are sometimes the 

 pectorals ; the dorsal and anal are lengthened, 

 and frequently united to the caudal, or united to 

 the exclusion of the caudal. All the fins are 



