CONOEHID^. ] Ifl 



Length, 28 in. To aiiii'f, 9] in. To gill-opening, 3'4 in. Spe- 

 cimen in tlie British Museum. 



Of unkuovvn origin. 



Genus 46. NETTASTOMA, Rnfmesque. 



Mursenophis, Eisso. 

 Muraena, Cuvier. 



Is a Conger, without pectorals, and with a very elongated snout. 

 The teeth are line, innumerable, card-like, in many (0-7) rows, in- 

 creasing in length as their position is more inward and movable. 

 The nasal bone is very short, and its compressed teeth are disposed 

 in a circle ; while the teeth of the greatly outstretched vomer in- 

 crease posteriorly in number and size; they stand in irregular lon- 

 gitudinal rows. Fore nostril issuing in a short cutaneous pipe ; 

 hinder nostril an oblong opening situated before and over the eye, 

 and capable of being closed by a skinny process of its upper edge. 

 Eye large, placed above the corner of the mouth. Body cylindrical, 

 and the tail tapering into a very long slender point. Dorsal and 

 anal fins very conspicuous. 



208. Nettastoma melanura, fig. 75. 



Nettastoma melanura, Bqfiiiesque-Schmalz, CaraUeri, t. JO, f. 1. 

 Mursenophis saga, Risso, 193 ; Ichth. f. 39. 



This highly interesting fish lives in the most profound depths of 

 the Mediterranean Sea, and can be taken only by aid of a very long 

 angling line. It attains a moderately large size, exceeding 32 

 inches in length. It has on the upper jaw and round the ej'e four- 

 teen pores, and on the mandible nineteen ; also two pairs on the 

 front of the snout between the fore nostril- tubes, and one pair on 

 the occiput. 



According to Risso, it is brown on the back, bluish on the ventral 

 aspect, and red at the tip of the jaws. All the specimens in the 

 Jardiu des Plantes have the caudal fin edged with black, as is very 

 frequently the case with the Congerida. Lateral line double at its 

 commencement, towards the anus beset with pores, and, as it 

 approaches the end of the tail, becoming single. 



Rays: D. 310; A. 210; =550. {Eisso.) 



Length of body, 12-75 in. Length of tail, 9'42 in. Length of 

 mouth, 2-47 in. To the gill-opening, 4-70 in. 



Mediterranean Sea (very scarce in Museums). 



