MURZENOIDS. 03 
(Se) 
in living fishes, of some species does not separate them so very widely from 
others if it is remembered that the habit of burrowing into the dead bodies 
of other animals is not rare among the eels. 
The members of this group inhabit the marine and the fresh waters of 
the torrid and the temperate regions. There is no doubt whatever that 
future research will extend the distribution into the polar regions; for 
being found at all depths, from the surface to 2500 fathoms, and in tem- 
peratures as low as 36° F. or even lower, there is no apparent reason for 
absence of eels wherever other marine fishes occur. 
Excepting the areas near the poles, the vertical distribution as now 
known compares well with that of any of the other groups. The greatest 
depths known to be inhabited by murznoids were noted by the “ Challen- 
ger” for Labichthys fans Giint. at 2500 fathoms, and Nemichthys scolopaceus 
Rich. at 2369, in the northwestern Atlantic. In the northeastern Atlantic 
the “Talisman” reported Synaphobranchus pinnatus Gron. from 1749, and 
Serrivomer Richardi Vaill. from 1657 fathoms. The present material col- 
fected by the “ Albatross” from the eastern tropical Pacific contains a new 
species of Labichthys, L. Bowersii, from 2232 fathoms; and the “Challenger” 
secured fistiobranchus bathybius Giint. at 2050 fathoms in the middle of the 
north Pacific, also at 1875, south of Yedo, and at 1375, midway between 
Cape Good Hope and Kerguelen Island. This vessel took Cyema atrum 
Giint. in the South Pacific and the Antarctic at 1500 and at 1800 fathoms. 
The deepest captures by the “ Investigator” in the northern parts of the 
Indian Ocean were of Gavialiceps nucrops Alc. at 1570 and of Promyllantor 
purpureus Alc. at 1000 fathoms. 
In the collection at hand there are sixteen species of the group, thirteen 
or fourteen of which are first described below. The list includes a species 
of Uroconger, two species of Congermurena, one of Congrosoma, three of 
Ophichthys, one of Xenomystax, one of Chlopsis, two of Venefica, one of 
Serrivomer, one of Labichthys, one of Nemichthys and two of Echidna. 
Species of the genera Uroconger, Venefica and Serrivomer have not hereto- 
fore been reported from the Pacific. Uroconger was found in Chinese and 
East Indian waters, and more recently off the coast of Europe and near 
Havana. The new species of the genus, J. varidens, is most closely allied 
to the species taken off the coast of Cuba, which species, it may be added, 
is different from that off the northern coasts of Africa to Europe and is 
entitled to a different name. The Cuban species is figured in the “Oceanic 
