4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM Vou. 113 
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Ficure 3.—Dental pattern of Paraconger californiensis. 
shown in table 2. The range of variation for all the species is from 
13 to 18 rays. 
VERTEBRAE: The difference in the number of vertebrae proves to 
be of value as a distinguishing character for certain species. The 
range of variation for the number of vertebrae is from 120 to 148, 
as is shown in table 2, with macrops and californiensis on the upper 
end of this range and caudilimbatus and harringtonensis on the lower 
end. 
POSITION OF UPPER EDGE OF GILL OPENING: All the species have 
the upper edge of gill opening at a level with the upper edge of pectoral 
fin base with almost no variation, except macrops, which has the upper 
edge about a quarter of the width of the pectoral fin base above the 
upper edge of its base. 
Paraconger, new genus 
Type species, Hchelus caudilimbatus Poey. 
Paraconger is characterized as follows: Body elongate, shaped as in 
Conger; anus in anterior half of body; snout rounded, length about 
equal to diameter of eye; mouth large extending posteriorly to below 
posterior part of eye; anterior nostrils tubular at tip of snout; posterior 
