EELS OF THE GENUS CONGER KANAZAWA 253 



Conger esculentus Poey 



Figures 2, 3; Plate 1,f 



Conger esculentus Poey, 1858, p. 346 (type locality, Cuba); 1867, p. 246; 1868, p. 



424; 1876, p. 151.— Stahl, 1883, p. 80.— Rivero, 1938, p. 173. 

 Conger niger Bean and Dressel, 1884, p. 169 (Jamaica). 

 [?] Conger vulgaris Giinther, 1870, p. 39, item "w," (St. Helena). — Metzalaar, 



1919, p. 14 (Curasao). 

 [?] Conger vulgaris var. niger Giinther 1869, p. 239 (St. Helena). — Melliss, 1875, 



p. 110. 



Specimens studied: Three specimens, from 970 to 1030 mm. in 

 total length, from the following localities: Cuba, MCZ 9328 (liolo- 

 type), 9330; Jamaica, USNM 32091. 



Diagnosis: Two rows of teeth in jaws; pectoral rays 18 to 19; 

 length of head 170 to 183. 



Description; Tip of snout to origin of dorsal fin 222 to 236; upper 

 jaw 62; length of pectorals 59 to 70; number of compressed teeth in 

 upper jaw 53 to 63; lower jaw 54 to 58; vomerine teeth 45 and in a 

 triangular patch; premaxillary teeth 36; tooth-patch wider than long; 

 vertebrae 46 precaudal, and 86 caudal; teeth in jaws in two rows; 

 supratemporal pore 1; preoperculo-mandibular pores 9; preorbital 

 bone without ossification bridging across the sensory canal, pi. 1,f. 

 Additional counts and measurements are recorded in tables I to 6, 

 and fig. 2. (All counts and measurements of the holotype were made 

 by WiUiam C. Schroeder of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 

 Harvard.) 



Geographical range: Cuba, Jamaica, and possibly to Curasao 

 and St. Helena. 



Remarks: This species is related to C. erebennus from Japan and 

 C. macrocephalus from the Philippines. The differences distinguishing 

 these species are given in the key (p. 230). 



Giinther (1870, p. 39, item "w") lists under Conger tmlgaris an adult 

 from St. Helena. Dr. Marshall of the British Museum kindly furnished 

 the following data for this specimen: Total length 1027 mm.; head 

 length 169 mm.; tip of snout to anus 428; tip of snout to origin of 

 dorsal fin 259; snout length 41; eye 21; pectoral length 68; lateral line 

 pores 37; supratemporal pore 1; and pectoral rays 16. The lateral 

 line pore count of 37 for this specimen is much fewer than the usual 

 44 to 47 for the species C. conger from European waters (table 2) , The 

 pore counts and proportional measurements are closest to C. escu- 

 lentus from Cuba. For comparison of the two forms see tables 1, 2, 

 5, 6. The only difference between the two forms seems to be in the 

 number of pectoral rajs — 18 to 19 for C. esculentus and 16 for the 

 St. Helena specimen. The number of vertebrae and the number of 



