362 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 
171.— CO.liOEK* Cuvier. 
Conger Eels. 
(Cuvier, Rogue Auim. II, 1817: type Murocna cohj/c?* Linn, etc.) 
Body formed iis in Anguilla, the skin scalelcss. Head dejn’essed 
above, anteriorly pointed. Lateral line present. Dlonth wide, its eleft 
extending’ at least to below the middle of the eye. Teeth in the outer 
series in each Jaw equal and close-set, forming a cutting-edge. No 
canines. Band of vomerine teeth short. Tongue anteriorly free. Ver- 
tical tins well developed, conllueut around the tail ; pectoral tins well 
^leveloped ; dorsal beginning close behind pectorals. Gill-openings 
rather large, low. Eyes well developed. Posterior nostril near eye; 
anterior near the tip of the snout, with a short tube. Lower jaw not 
in’ojecting. Skeleton dilferent in numerous respects from that of An- 
guilla. A'ertebraj about 50 + 100. In most warm seas. 
The name Lcpfocephalus was first given to a i)eculiar band-shaped, 
pellucid, worm-like animal, the type of a considerable grout) of fishes, 
the Leptocephaliclcc or llelmichthgidw, which has been made to constitute 
a distinct order, Lemniscati. It has, however, been satisfactorily shown 
by Cams, Gill, Gunther, and others, that these singular forms are not 
distinct species, but are early stages in the development of other fishes, 
Leptocephalus morrisii, of Conger niger, and the others of various An- 
guilloid, Stomiatoid, and Clupeoid forms. (See Giinther, viii, 13G.) It 
is thouglrt bj’ Dr. Giinther that the Leptocephalid forms are probably 
“ individuals arrested in the development at a very early pe'riod of their 
life, yet continuing to grow to a certain size, without corresponding 
development of their internal organs, and iierishiug without having at- 
tained the characters of the perfect animal.” [xoYypo', Conger, the an- 
cient name of the Conger Eel.) 
5§§. C. siagev (Risso) J. & G. — Conger Eel. 
Dark brown above, lower parts soiled white ; dorsal and anal pale, 
with a black niargin (sometimes uniform black); pectorals dusky, edged 
with paler; pores of lateral line whitish. Dorsal inserted over the pos- 
terior margin of the pectoral, or slightly behind it ; ])ectoral one-third 
*Tho prior uaino Leptocephalus (Gmeliii, Syst. Nat. i, lir>0, 1788: type Leptocephalus 
morrisi Giuel., aii arrested larval form of Conger) should, in strictness, supersede Con- 
ger. The use of the term for the adult normal fish would, however, lead to confusion, 
as Leptocephalus has for ne.arly a hundred years been api>lied m Aarious singular 
organisms, lately shown to be undeveloped forms of eels and of ccriaan^lsospondyli. 
