384 Mr. C. T. Regan on the Osteology and 



Family 8. Moringuidae. 



Naked, cylindrical, with the tail much shorter than the 

 trunk ; vertical fins developed on the tail only ; pectorals 

 small or absent. Mouth small, with lateral cleft extending 

 behind eye ; maxillary articulating with ethmoid not far from 

 end of snout ; teeth uniserial ; nostrils lateral ; gill-openings 

 separate; pharyngeal apertures of interbrachial clefts re- 

 stricted, of cleft in front of first gill wide ; pharyngeals oblong 

 or ovate, covered with small teeth. Heart at some distance 

 behind the gills. Frontals paired, anteriorly with moderately 

 developed mucous channels ; vomer ankylosed to ethmoid ; 

 parasphenoid meeting frontals in a long sutural union; a 

 prominent otic bulla. Suspensorium vertical ; palato- 

 pterygoid slender, almost vestigial. Neural arches with 

 zygapophyses, without distinct spines ; caudal vertebrae 

 without lateral transverse processes ; ribs and intermuscular 

 bones feeble. 



Moringua. 



Family 9. Nemichthyidae. 



Naked, very elongate, compressed ; dorsal and anal long, 

 confluent witli the reduced caudal, or extending to the end of 

 the long slender tail ; vent not far behind gill-openings. 

 Snout and lower jaw produced, slender ; maxillary articulated 

 to ethmoid far behind tip of snout ; nostrils lateral ; gill- 

 openings wide, sometimes confluent below ; pharyngeal 

 apertures of branchial clefts wide. Frontals paired. Suspen- 

 sorium vertical ; palato-pterygoid absent. Caudal vertebrae 

 with long neural spines and without transverse processes. 



Principal genera: Sphiivomer, Serrivomer [Qavialiceps)y 

 Stemonidium^ Avocettina, Nemichthys. 



In the last three the teeth are small and numerous, regu- 

 larly arranged in quincunx ; the first two have a series of 

 strong teeth on the vomer. 



Family 10. Cyemidae. 



Cyema atrum has the jaws and dentition of Nemichthys, 

 except that the maxillary is longer, extending backwards far 

 behind the small eye ; the suspensorium is directed obliquely 

 backwards. The body is only moderately elongate, with the 

 trunk and tail nearly equal in length ; the dorsal and anal 

 fins are opposed, separated only by a notch at the end of the 

 tail ; the vertebrae number about 80. 



