NO. 1239. APODAL FISHES OF JAPAN— JORDAN AND SNYDER. 843 



from snout to dorsal, 3i in lenj^th. Dark hroMii or yellowish brown 

 above, rarely marbled; abruptly paler below; pectoral pale; dorsal, 

 anal, and caudal edued behind with black. Length, '2 to 5 feet. 

 Streams, lakes, and estuaries of Japan, almost everywhere very com- 

 mon; our specimens from Hakodate, Aomori, Same, Matsushima, 

 Sendai, Tokyo, Misaki. Wakanoura, Onuira Bay, Kurume, and Naga- 

 saki. 



In southern Japan ver^' large examples 4 or 5 feet long are some- 

 times taken. The species is very similar to the American eel 

 {AnguiJht c]irysyp<i Rafines(][ue), diti'ering in a ver}- slightl}" more 

 anterior dorsal and more blackish edging to the tins behind, matters 

 of very slight importance. This species is known to fishermen as 

 "unagi,'' the very large ones as "ounagi," or great eel. The name 

 '"goma-unagi," or caraway-seed eel, is given to speckled individuals. 



Family III. SYNAPHOBRANCHID.K. 



This group consists of deep-sea eels, diflering from the AnguiUldce 

 in having the gill openings externally confluent into a single slit. 

 The following diagnosis is given by Dr. (jill: 



Enchelycephalous apodals, with conic, pointed head; moderate 

 opercular apparatus, lateral maxillines, cardiform teeth, distinct 

 tongue, inferior branchial apertures discharging by a common aper- 

 ture, continuous vertical fins. piM-torals well developt'd, scaly skin, 

 and nearly perfect branchial skeleton. 



Body eel-shaped, covered with linear, embedded scales placed at 

 right angles, as in AnguUla. Lateral line present. Head long and 

 pointed, the snout produced. Mouth very long, the eye being over 

 the middle of its cleft. Jaws about equal; teeth small, sharj), in a 

 broad band in each jaw, becoming a single series anteriorly; those of 

 inner series in upper jaw and of outer series in mandible somewhat 

 enlarged; vomerine teeth in a narrow ])and anteriorly. Gill openings 

 inferior, horizontal, close together, convergent forward, somewhat 

 conHuent at the surface, ))ut separated In' a considerable isthmus 

 within. Branchiostegals peculiarly formed, in moderate number 

 (about 15), attached to the sides of the compressed ceratohyal and 

 epihyal, slender, al)breviated, and moderately bowed, not being curved 

 up above the operculum. Tongue long, free only at the sides. Nos- 

 trils large, the anterior with a short tube, the posterior before the 

 lower part of the eye. Pectoral well developed; dorsal low, l)egin- 

 ning })ehind vent; anal longer than dorsal, rather high, its raj'S slen- 

 der, })i-anched, not embedded in the skin; vertical tins confluent around 

 the tail. Vent near the anterior fourth of the ])ody. Muscular and 

 osseous s3^stem well developed. Stomach very distensible. Deep-sea 

 fishes; two genera, with ♦'» or S species known. 



