Mcculloch. 23 



Eels.— Order APODES. 

 Form Eel-like. Two gill-openings which are lateral in position. 

 A. Body covered with minute scales. Family Anguillidae (Xo. xlvi.) . 



AA. Body naked. 



B . Tip of tail surrounded by fin-membranes. 

 C. Posterior nostril superior or lateral. 

 D. Pectoral fin present. 



E. Canine teeth on jaws and vomer. 



Family Muraetiesocidae (No. xlvii.l. 



EE. Xo canine teeth. Family Leptocephalidae (No. xlviii.). 



DD. Xo pectoral fins. Family Muraenidae (Xo. xlix.). 



CC. Posterior nostril in upper lip near the eye. Family Echelidae (Xo. 1.). 



BB. Tip of tail free, without fin-membranes. Familv Ophichthyidae (Xo. li.). 



XLVI. Family Axguillidae. 



77. Axguilla Shaw, Gen. Zool. iv, 1803, p. 15 (vulgaris). 



77a. A. australis. Short-fixxed Eel. Id. Rich., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1841. p. 



22, and Ichth. Ereb. & Terr. 1848, p. 112, pi. 45, 1-5. (PL viii.). 

 Abundant in a!! coastal rivers and adjoining fresh waters, and descending to 

 the sea to breed. 



77b. A. reixhardtii. Loxg-fixned Eel. Id. Stdr., S.B. Akad. Wiss. Wien 



Iv. i, 1867, p. 15, fig a-b. 

 Distinguished from the preceding species only by having the dorsal fin 

 extending farther forward. Length to over 4 feet. 



XLVTT Family Muraexesocidae. 



78. Mueaexesox McClelland, Calc. Journ. X. Hist, iv, 1843, p. 408 (tricuspi- 

 data). 

 78a. M. cixereus. Silver Eel. Muraena cinerea Forsk., Descr. Anim., 

 1775. p. 22. Muraeneso.r bagia Blkr.. Atlas Ichth., iv, 1864, p. 24, pi. 26, 

 2. (PI. viii.). 

 A tropical species. Length to five feet. 



XLVIII. Family Leptocephalidae. 



A. Teeth of jaws juxtaposed to form a cutting edge. ' Leptocepfialus (79)- 



AA. Jaw-teeth in bands, not forming a cutting edge. Congermuraena (80). 



79. Leptocephalus Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. 3, 1789, p. 1150 (morrisix) . 



79a. L. labiatus. Coxger Eel. Conger labiatus Castelnau, P.L.S. N.S.W. 



iii, 1879, p. 396. 

 Scarcely distinguishable from the well known Conger of Europe. Length 

 to 3 feet. 



80. Coxgermuraena Kaup, Cat. Apod. Fish., 1856, p. 108 (balearica). 



80a. C. habexata. Little Coxger Eel. Congrus habenatus Rich., Ichth. 



Ereb. & Terr.. 1849, p. 109, pi. 50, 1-5. (PI. viii.). 

 Apparently common in deeper water, and sometimes thrown up on beaches 

 after storms. Length about 12 inches. 



