Clnssijicafi'on of (lie Si/i)i/>ranr7i<)ul Eels. .j'^^O 



aliove the supraoccipital. Pectoral arch attached to the skull 

 hy a forked post-tempoial. (*aiidal vcrtebrai more numerous 

 than the pnceaudals; posterior prfycaudals with downwardly 

 directed par:ipophyses; epipleuruls sessile. 



Family 1. Alabetidae. 



This family includes the single genus Alabes, Vaw. {Chilo- 

 hranchus, Richards.), little fishes of the coasts of Australia, 

 known as " Shore Eels." The body is naked ; the snout is 

 blunt and the eyes are placed far forward; the mouth is 

 small, terminal, and the blunt compressed teeth are arranged 

 in a single series in the jaws. In A. dorsalis I count 75 

 vertebra3 (23 + 52) ; parapophyses are developed on the last 

 8 praecaudals only, they are downwardly directed and 

 gradually increase in length until they form closed hccmal 

 arches in the caudal region. 



Suborder 2. StmbrancboideA. 



Vent in the posterior half of the length of the fish. Dorsal 

 and anal vestigial; no pelvic (ins. Mouth moderately large; 

 ]);ilate with a crescentic band or series of teetli on the pala- 

 tines and pterygoids. Prjemaxillaries without posterior 

 ))edicel3 ; palatines meeting below the vomer; pterygoid 

 expanded, attached throughout its length to the frontal ; 

 operculum subtriangular. Skull elongate; parasplienoid and 

 frontal united by a long suture ; parietals meeting above the 

 supraoccipital. Pia^caudal vertebra? more numerous than the 

 caudals ; all the prtecaudals (except the first) and the anterior 

 caudals with transverse processes bearing the epipleurals ; 

 posterior praecaudals also with downwardly directed para- 

 pophyses, which aie replaced by closed haemal arches in the 

 caudal region. 



Family 1. SynibranchidaB. 



There are no respiratory sacs and the pectoral arch is 

 attached to the skull by a forked post-temporal ; the body is 

 naked. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 

 I. Eyes developed ; gill-opening small ; teetli in bauds. 



Gills well developed, on 4 branchial arches ; 



vertebrae 127-137 (76-80+51-57) .... 1. Syvibranchus. 

 Gills vestigial, on 3 branchial arches only; 



vertebra; 188 (100+88) 2. Mimopterus. 



