EELS OF THE GENUS CONGER — KANAZAWA 245 



Oigawa 75981; Kobe market USNM 151820 (4), SNHM 30611 (5); 

 Wakanoura SNHM 6968; Nagasaki, UMMZ 165513 (2); Tsushima 

 Straits UMMZ 165533, 165534; Hamada UMMZ 165491, 165536; off 

 Miyazu UMMZ 165519 (3); Wakasa Bay UMMZ 165520 (2); Fukui 

 Ken USNM 151740. Korea: Fusan USNM 163469 (2), UMMZ 

 165502, 165522 (18). China: Tsingtao, Shantung USNM 130468 

 (3); Ningpo USNM 130525 (2); Chusan Island SNHM 32422 (3). 



Diagnosis: Whitish areas surround the sensory pores and pits on 

 head and body; origin of dorsal fin 8.14 percent behind to 43 percent of 

 pectoral fin in front of pectoral tip; number of compressed teeth 25 to 

 45; least amount of ossification developed in preorbital bone; pores in 

 lateral line 39 to 43, head length 133 to 160. 



Description: Distance from tip of snout to origin of dorsal fin 172 

 to 209; length of pectoral fin 51 to 70; vertebrae 144 to 147 (50 to 

 56 + 90 to 96) ; in five specimens dorsal fin rays 272 to 287 and anal 

 rays 187 to 218; compressed teeth in upper jaw 25 to 45, in lower jaw 

 29 to 43; generally two rows of teeth laterally in jaws, inner row of 

 teetli from a few teeth to five-sixths the length of outer row; pre- 

 maxillary tooth-patch wider than long; origin of dorsal fin from 8.14 

 behind posterior tip of pectorals to 43 percent in front of pectoral tip 

 (table 1) ; peritoneum silvery to silvery with black specks; ossification 

 not bridging over sensory canal in preorbital bone; white areas around 

 lateral line pores and sensory pits; preorbital bone shows the least 

 ossification when compared to other species. Additional measure- 

 ments and counts appear in tables 1-6. 



Geographical range: In Japan from 'viororan and Hakodate on 

 the Island of Hokkaido southward on the Pacific coast of Japan to 

 Nagasaki, northward to Fukui Ken in the Sea of Japan, to Korea 

 southward to Chekiang Province of China. 



Remarks: This species can be distinguished by the white areas 

 surrounding the sensory pores and organs on head and body. In 

 some preserved specimens these white areas are not discernible, thus 

 making this species frequently misidentified with C. jordani. The two 

 species can be distinguished by the number of compressed teeth in 

 upper jaw (table 4) and b}^ the position of the origin of dorsal fin 

 (table 1). The number of pores in lateral line is 39 to 43, whereas in 

 0. jordani there are 36 to 40 (table 2) . 



The description of Conger japonica Bleeker (1879, p. 32, pi. 2, fig. 2) 

 gives the number of dorsal rays as 260, anal 170; inner row of teeth of 

 both jaws well developed; Bleekcr's illustration shows the dorsal 

 origin slightly in front of pectoral tip. These characters agree with 

 C. myriaster; therefore, I have placed C japonica as a synonym of 

 that species. 



