376 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Series I. SONY FISHES. Family MUS&NIDJS |. 



Order IV. MALACOPTERYGII APODES *. Genus ANGUILLA J. 



THE SHARP-NOSED EEL. 



(Anguilla acutirostris .) 



Characteristics common to all the Eel Family. Body elongated into 

 a serpent-like form. Skin thick and soft 5 scales almost invisible, 

 and very few bones. They have no ventral fins and no pyloric caeca, 

 but almost all have air-bladders. 



THE special characteristics of the present genus, Anguilla, 

 to which all our fresh- water Eels belong, are, that they 

 have the body rounded, and covered with a thick mucus 

 or slime ; a row of teeth on each jaw and a few in front of 

 the vomer or central bone in the roof of the mouth ; the 

 pectoral fins close to the openings of the gills, which are 

 very small apertures ; and the back-, anal, and tail-fins 

 united. 



* " Soft-finned Fish lacking ventral fins." (See p. 37.) 

 t Mureena, an eel-shaped fish, Lat. 



J From anguilla, a little snake; acutus, sharp, and rostrum, a 

 nose or snout, Lat. 



