284 



MU11.EN1D.E. 



APODAL 

 MALACOPTERYGJL 



MURJENIDJE. 



SHARP-NOSED EEL. 



Anguilla acutirostris, Sharp-nosed Eel, YARREI.L, Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1831, 



pp. 133 and 159. Zool. Journ. vol. 

 iv. p. 469. 



,, omnium autorum, WII.LVOHBY, p. 109, G. 5. 

 ,, acutirostris, Sharp-nosed 1.' I. .'ININS, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 474, 



sp. 163. 



LINNJEUS. BLOCH, pt. iii. pi. 73. 

 PENN. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 191. 

 FLEM. Brit. An. p. 199, sp. 109. 



Mureena anguilla, L'Anguille, 



,, ,, Common Eel, 



Anguilla vulgaris, ,, ,, 



,, ,, Long-bee, 



,, ,, Common Eel, 



CUVIER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 349. 

 BOWDICH, Brit. Fr. Wat. Fish. No. 7. 



Generic Characters. Body cylindrical, elongated, covered with a thick 

 and smooth skin ; the scales very small ; lubricated with copious mucous secre- 

 tion ; mouth with a row of teeth in each jaw, and a few on the anterior part of 

 the vomer ; pectoral fins close to a small branchial aperture ; no ventral fins ; 

 dorsal fin, anal fin, and caudal fin united. 



BARON CUVIER, in this family of the Murtenidte, or Eel- 

 shaped Fishes, which includes several genera forming his 

 fourth order, has brought together those fishes with soft 

 fins which have an elongated form of body : they are also 

 destitute of ventral fins, and are in consequence called Apo- 

 dal. The genus Anguilla^ including our common Eels, is 

 the first of this order. 



