284 



MUR^NUD.'E. 



APODAL 

 MALACOPrERYGlL 



MURAENID^. 



SHARP-NOSED EEL. 



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



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

 iv. p. 469. 

 ,, omnium autorum, Witxughby, p. 109, G. 5. 



,, acutirostris, Sharp-nosed Eel, Jenyns, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 474, 



sp. 163. 



Murana anguilla, L'Anguille, Linn^us. Block, pt. iii. pi, 73. 



„ ,, Common Eel, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 191. 



Anguilla vulgaris, ,, ,, Flem. Brit. An. p. 199, sp. 109. 



„ ,, Long-bee, Cuvier, Regne An. t. ii. p. 349. 



„ ,, Common Eel, 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 Muranidte, 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. 



