10 BULLETIN 180, UNITKD STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



SPRATELLOIDES DELICATULUS (Bennett) 



Clupc^i' dcUcatida Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1831, pt. 1, p. 168. 



The adults attain a standard length of 60 mm.; the females contain 

 nearly ripe eggs. 



115102, Canton Island lagoon, April 23 to May 12, 1939, 77 specimens. 

 115104, Canton Island lagoon, coral heads, May 23-25, 1939, 8 specimens. 

 115107, Canton Island, seined in channel and lagoon, April 24, 1939, 198 speci- 

 mens. 



115101, Canton Island lagoon. May 25-26, 1939, 315 specimens. 



115103, Hull Island channel, July 8-12, 1939, 3 specimens. 

 Ilol05, Kose Island reef, June 11-14, 1939, 7 specimens. 

 115100, Hull Island channel, July 7-17, 1939, 16 specimens. 

 52237, Apia, Samoa, Jordan and Kellogg, 12 specimens. 



Order APODES 



KEY TO THE FAMILIES OF EELS FROM THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS REP- 

 RESENTED BY SPECIMENS IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM FROM THAT REGION 



la. Body scaly, scales in patches arranged at right angles to adjoining patches ; 

 tongue free ; pectoi-als present ; origin of dorsal far behind gill openings ; 

 dorsal, caudal, and anal well developed, confluent ; anus in anterior half 

 of length ; posterior nostril in front of eye ; teeth small, conical, villiform 

 or in cardiform bands on jaws and vomer ; gill openings vertical slits in 



front of or below base of pectorals Muraenidae 



15. Body not scaly. 

 2a. Dorsal and anal, if present, not reaching tip of tail ; the latter is free and 

 projects as a stiff point, caudal fin being absent ; posterior nostrils in a 

 slit in or near border of upper lip directed downward, anterior nostrils 

 tubular on under side of snout near its tip ; pectorals present or absent ; 

 tongue not free, except tip is free in Brachijsomophis — Ophichthyidae 

 '2b. End of tail not free, but dorsal and anal are confluent with caudal, though 

 all these fins may be rudimentary. 

 3a. Posterior nostrils lateral or superior, usually on top of head near front 

 of eye, but never in upper lip near eye. 

 4a. Pectorals absent; gill opening a small lengthwise slit near, above or 

 below, midaxis but not on ventral side ; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins 

 confluent, covered with skin (in Phoenix and Samoan Island repre- 

 sentatives) ; tongue not free; anterior nostrils in a tube near tip of 



snout Echidnidae 



45. Pectorals present, sometimes small or vestigial ; if absent, anus is 



far behind middle of length and dorsal and anal are confined to 



tail. 



5fl. Pectorals well developed; dorsal, anal, and caudal well developed, 



confluent ; anus in anterior half of length ; tongue free or not free ; 



branchial openings in pharynx wide slits Congridae 



56. Pectorals .small, vestigial or absent ; dorsal and anal fins confined to 

 tail and sometimes reduced to low folds with visible rays at their 

 ends; anus far behind middle of length; body cylindrical; anterior 



nostrils tubular near end of snout Moring'uidae 



3&. Posterior nosfrils near eye in upper lip with a valvular flap, directed 

 downward; anterior nostrils tubular near tip of snout and upper lip; 

 pectorals present or absent ; anus in anterior half of length ; tongue 

 not free Echelidae 



