226 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. los 



pectoral fin; lateral line pores present, extending along side of body, 

 pores in lateral line anterior to a perpendicular line through anus 

 number from 30 to 50; anterior nostrils tubular at tip of snout; 

 posterior nostrils not tubular adjacent to eye and above level of 

 middle of eye; gill opening large, the upper edge of gill opening near 

 middle of pectoral fin base; sensory pores on head present, 6 to 9 

 infraorbital pores, 9 to 11 preoperculo-mandibular pores, 1 or 3 supra- 

 temporal pores, 2 ethmoidal pores, 2 to 4 supraorbital pores; teeth in 

 jaws in one or two series, outer row of teeth compressed, incisorlike 

 and in contact basally, forming a cutting edge, inner row and other 

 teeth conical, no canines present; anus situated in anterior half of 

 total length ; nasal bone thin and translucent with numerous fingerlike 

 structures anteriorly, preorbital bone flat, triangular, overlapping outer 

 surface of the maxillary bone; otic bulla absent; ethmoidal process 

 cartilaginous. 



Body uniform brownish or dusky, lighter ventrally, a single species 

 may have wide barring; distal edge of vertical fins black in adult, light 

 in young; black on edge of vertical fins progresses anteriorly with 

 growth; pectorals black or whitish; in young specimens a row of pig- 

 ment spots are located above base of anal fin and continue across 

 abdomen; as growth progresses these spots diminish in numbers and 

 finally disappear. 



Relationship with other genera: The genus Conger has no close 

 relationship to the other genera of the family. Ariosoma, Bathy- 

 congrus, Gnatftophis, Uroconger, Chiloconger, and Coloconger have the 

 otic bulla, whereas Conger does not. Regan (1912, p. 379), in his 

 classification of the order Apodes, used this character as a major 

 division on a family level. Conger differs further in being more 

 elongate than the forms of the Ariosoma group. 



Since Conger caudilimbatus Poey has an otic bulla, ethmoidal process 

 ossified, upper edge of gill opening in line with upper edge of pectoral 

 fin base, preorbital bone not triangular, and body shape stubbier than 

 other species of Conger, I refer it near the genus Chiloconger. 



In Conger myriaster the sensory pores and organs are accentuated by 

 a white area surrounding them. Jordan and Hubbs (1925, p. 194) 

 used this character as the basis for a new genus Astroconger but this 

 character should be used only at a specific level. 



Species relationships: Interspecifically the species Conger 

 cinereus shows the greatest degree of differentiation in the barring on 

 body, greater number of infraorbital pores, the higher position of the 

 sixth infraorbital pore, the greatest ossification of the preorbital bone, 

 and the greatest development of the black spot on the pectoral fins. 

 Next, C. triporiceps differs most from all other species by having three 

 supratemporal pores instead of the usual one, seven or eight infraorbital 



