Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 357 



Ophisnnia vinrninui}. GiLHERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Miis., IWll, 3.51, Gulf of California. (Cull. Alba- 

 tross.) 



584. CONGERMIIR.ENA PRORIGERA (Gilbert). 



Tail considerably louger than rest of body. Eye small, 2 in snout, 8J 

 in head, slightly less than length of gill slit; snout long and sharp, the 

 acute tip projecting beyond mandible for it length of orbit; teeth villi- 

 forni, in broad bands, none of them enlarged, a transverse groove behind 

 head of vomer to receive tip of mandible ; posterior nostril slit-like, the 

 anterior with distinct membranous tube ; mandibles very broad and strong; 

 gapo reaching to vertical from posterior margin of pupil, i of head; con- 

 spicuous pore just behind angle of mouth ; head equal to trunk, 3 in tail 

 ■without fin; depth 13 in total length; pectoral 31 in head; dorsal begin- 

 ning in advance of gill opening, its distance from tip of snout slightly 

 less than half the distance from snout to anal. Uniform light brovrn; 

 fins dusky, black near tip of tail, and there with narrow bright white 

 margin ; mouth, gill cavity, and peritoneum black. (Gilbert.) Length 1 

 foot. Panama to Ecuador, {prora, prow ; gero, I bear.) 



Ophisoma prnritjerum, Gilrert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1891, 350, Coast of Ecuador; Panama. 

 (Coll. Albatross.) 



.5S5. COXCJERMUR.ENA XITENS (Jordan & Bollman). 



Tail much more than twice length of body; body slender; tail com- 

 pressed; lower jaw considerably shorter than the upper; dorsal beginning 

 slightly in advance of the root of the pectoral. Head If in trunk, .5^ in 

 tail; tail 2} times as long as head and trunk; snout 4i in head, very soft; 

 eye very large, 7 in head, 1| in snout ; interorbital area 2 in eye ; cleft of 

 mouth 3^ in head, extending slightly behind middle of eye; pectoral long 

 and narrow, 2;* in head, If times as long as gill slit. Color olivaceous, 

 upper parts of head and body with numerous fine black dots ; a silvery 

 shade across opercles and below lateral line ; peritoneum bright silvery, 

 giving belly a pale color ; dorsal and anal with a narrow black margin, 

 below which are a few small spots ; pectoral pale. One specimen dredged 

 at Alhaiross station 2801 off Panama, 8° 47^ N., 79° 29^ 30''^ W., in 14 

 fathoms, {nitens, shining.) 



Opliisnma nitena, JoRBAN & BoLLMAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1889, IS:?, Panama ; .Torpan & 

 Davis, I. c, 662. (Coll. Albatross.) 



586. CONGERMUR^NA PLATA, Goode & Bean. 



Lips somewhat thickened. Snout long, about twice diameter of eye, 

 which is 6 in head. Lower jaw projecting far beyond the upper. 

 Anterior nostril in short tube, posterior nostril pore-like, in advance of 

 eye, and above the horizontal line of its diameter. Cleft of mouth 

 extending very slightly behind middle of eye. Teeth in very narrow 

 bands, villiform, a dense cluster on the vomer. Length of head equal to 

 that of trunk. Tail about twice as long as body. Dorsal beginning far 

 in advance of gill opening and pectoral. Color yellowish; blackish on 

 termination of tail. Specimens obtained by the Alhalross at stations 

 2121 and 2122, in 31 to 34 fathoms, and at station 2402, in 111 fathoms; 



