DISCUSSION OF SPECIES AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 143 



SYNAPHOBRANCHUS PINNATUS, (Gronovius), Gunther. (Figuio 164.) 



Murwnapinnata, Gronovii's, Syst. Ichth. (ed. Gray), 19. 



Synaphobraiichus pinnatm, Gi'NTHER, (.'at. Fish. Brit. Mas., 1870, vrii, 23; Challenger Report, xxii, 2.53, pi. 

 LXii, tig. A.— GooDE and Bkan, Bull. E.sstx In.st. 1879, xi, 2(); Bull. Mus. Comp. ZoOl., 1883, x, 223.— 

 Vaillant, Exp. Sci. Travaillcur vt Talisman, Poiss., 88, pi. vi, figs. 2, 2a, 2b, 2c. 



Synaphobranchiis Kaupii, Johnson, I'roc. Zoiil. Soc, 1862, 169. 



Synaphobra Itch IIS affinis, Glinther, Anu. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1877, xx, 445. 



Jaws subequal iu length, sonu'times the h)wer, sometimes the upper the loiigei- ; the upper 

 with a projecting tieshy tip; maxillary reaching to opposite gill openiiig.s, which are rather 

 longer tliau the large eye. Head 3.\ iu distance from suout to dorsal, 2^ iu distance to anal, 

 8§ in length. Vomerine teetli uiiiserial. Eye broader than interorbital space, rather nearer 

 tip of suout than end of maxillary. Tail about twice as long as body. Pectoral slender, 

 longer than snout, dniforni brown, rather darker below; the vertical fins darker behind, 

 light-edged anteriorly; inside of mouth blue-black; gill openings dark. 



This remarkable eel was first made known by the Madeiran ichthyologists, Lowe and 

 Johnson, by whom it was found sit 710 fathoms and in intermediate depths. The Challenger 

 obtained it near thecoast of Brazil, iu 1,200 fathoms; off Japan, in 315 to 50.") fathoms; and 

 about the Philippines, in 375 to 500 fathoms. Its presence in the western Atlantic was first 

 detected by the Cape Ann fishermen, who in 1879 began bringing them in from the offshore 

 banks, where they had been taken on trawl lines at 200 to 300 fathoms. In 1870 the Fish 

 Hawk took it often in 250 to 305 fathonis, and subsequently the Albatross and the Blake 

 brought it in from numerous stations at depths of 300 to 1,000 fathoms. The Travailleur 

 and Taiiswrtfi took it in numerous localities; off Morocco, 912-2,210 meters; oft' the Canaries, 

 863-2,083 meters; oft' Soudan, 882-1,435 meters; on the Banc d'Arguin, 1,113-1,550; oft" 

 the Cape Verdes, 405-3,200 ; off the Azores, 1 ,257-2,235 meters. 



Siiecimens of this species were obtained by the Blake from the following localities: 

 Station CCCIX, in 38° 18' 40" N. lat., 73° 18' 10" W. Ion., at a depth of 304 fathoms; Sta- 

 tion CCCIII, in 41° 34' 30" N. lat., Gr,o .54' 30" W. Ion., at a depth of 306 fathoms; Station 

 cccxii, in 39° 50' 45" N. lat., 70° 11' W. Ion., at a depth of 466 fathoms; Station cccsxv, 

 in 33° 35' 20" N. lat., 76o W. Ion., at a depth of 647 fathoms; Station occxxxvii, in 38° 20' 

 08" N. lat., 730 23' 20" W. Ion., at a depth of 740 fothoms; Station Cfoxxvi, 33o 42' 15" N. 

 lat, 76° 50" W. Ion., at a depth of 464 fathoms; Station cccxxix, in 34° 39' 40" N. lat, 

 750 14' 40" w. Ion., at a depth of 603 fathoms; also five specimens, locality unknown. 



Specimens were also secm-cd by the Fish Eawk fvova. station 881, iu 39^ 46' 30" N. lat, 

 70° 54' W. Ion., at a depth of 325 fathoms; Cat. No. 26108, U. S. N. M., from station 880, 

 in 390 48' 30" N". lat, 70° 54' W. Ion., at a depth of 252.^ fathoms; Cat. No. 28746, U. S. N. 

 M., from station 925 in 39° 55' N. lat., 70o 47' W. Ion., at a depth of 224 fathoms; Cat No. 

 26736, U. S. N. M., from station 898, in 37° 24' N. lat, 74° 17' W. Ion., at a depth of 300 

 fathoms; Cat No. 28796, U. S. N. M., fi-om station 047, iu 39° 53' 30" N. lat., 71° 13' 30" 

 W. Ion., at a depth of 319 fathoms; Cat No. 28759, U. S. N. M., ft-om station 937, in 39° 

 49' 25" N. lat., 69° 49' W. Ion., at a depth of 616 fathoms; Cat. No. 29072, U. S. N. M., ft-om 

 station 1049, iu 38o 28' N. lat, 73'^ 22 W. lou., at a depth of 435 fathoms; Cat No. 28944, 

 U. S. N. M., from station 1030, in 39° 58' 30" N. lat, 69° 15' W. h)n., at a dci)th of 337 

 fathoms; Cat No. 31777, IT. S. N. M., from station 1142, in 39° 32' N. lat, 72° W. Ion., at a 

 depth of 322 fathoms; Cat No. 31769, U. S. N. M., from station 1143, in 39° 29' N. lat., 72° 

 01' W. Ion., at a depth of 452 fathoms; Cat. No. 28895, U. S. N. M., from statitm 997, iu 39° 

 42' N. lat, 71° 32' W. Ion., at a depth of 335 fathoms; Cat No. 28914, U. S. N. M., from 

 station 994, in 39° 40' N. lat., 71° 30' W. Ion., at a depth of 368 fathoms; Cat. No. 28944, 

 U. S. N. M., from station 1030, in 39° 58' 30" N. lat, 69° 15' W. Ion., at a (lei)th of 337 

 fathoms; Cat No. 2G737, U. S. N. M., from station 898, in 37° 24' N. lat, 740 17' W. Ion., 

 at a depth of 300 fathoms; Cat. No. 28930, IT. S. N. M., from station 1028, in 39° 57' N. lat, 

 690 17' W. Ion., at a depth of 410 fathoms; Cat No. 31598, U. S. N. jM., from station 1093, 

 in 390 56' N. lat, 69° 45' W. Ion., in 349 fathoms; Cat No. 31776, U. S. N. M., from station 

 1138, in 390 39' N. lat, 71° 54' W. Ion., at a depth of 168 fathoms; Cat. No. 28940, U. S. N. 



