﻿26 GANGETic FISHES. Order II. 



On account of the number of fins this eel is nearly allied to 

 the fish described by Russell, (Indian Fishes, Vol. I. No. 34,) 

 which wants the dots on the body, and has three apertures on 

 each side of the nose. 



This eel seldom exceeds a foot in length, and is less dis- 

 gusting in appearance than most fishes of the kind. The un- 

 der parts are white. 



The head is small, oval, and sharpish. The mouth is small. 

 In each nostril there are two apertures ; neither of them tu- 

 bular. There are strong teeth in both jaws. The eyes are 

 small, high, and far forward. There are no gill-covers ; but 

 a very dilatable membrane, which is striated with some slen- 

 der rays, that cannot be exactly numbered, and leave a small 

 round opening at each pectoral fin. 



The body is not compressed. The lateral line runs straight 

 along the middle of the side. The vent is behind the middle. 

 The tail tapers to a blunt end. 



The back Jin is behind the middle, and contains thirty-two 

 rays of nearly equal length. The pectoral fins are minute and 

 rounded, and each contains eight rays. The anal fin com- 

 mences near the vent, and contains fifty rays of nearly equal 

 length. The tail fin is rounded, and contains sixty rays. 



V. Genus. — Macrognathus. 



Fishes of the second order, covered with very minute scales, 

 somewhat like a serpent, armed with prickles before the back 

 and anal fins, and having a fin on the tail. 



The fishes of this genus were formerly included among the 

 Ophidiums ; and, as the species of both were not very nume- 

 rous, one genus might, perhaps, have included the whole 

 without inconvenience. While there was only one genus, the 

 specific names aculeatum and armatum, given to two species, 



