588 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
This genus contains a single species from the West Indies. 
The genus Enchelynassa is based on a single specimen from unknown 
locality. Giinther considers it u not improbable that this fish is iden- 
tical with or closely allied to Enchelycore ,” but the description of Kaup 
is insufficient for the determination of this point. 
ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIES OF ENCHELYCORE. 
a. Snout narrow, rather produced, 2$- in gape ; the jaws can not be shut in adult exam- 
ples. Teeth of upper jaw biserial, the inner series of very long and slender 
depressible canines; long canines not movable in front of each jaw; lateral 
teeth of lower jaw slender, subequal, sharp, and recurved ; vomerine teeth 
small, uniserial, developed posteriorly ; eye moderate, 2 in snout ; gape 2 in 
head ; dorsal beginning above the gill opening ; tail slightly longer than rest 
of body ; head 3 to 3£ in trank. Uniform black or dark brown, sometimes faintly 
marbled with darker ; angle of mouth slightly darker ; gill-opening pale. 
Nigricans, 3. 
3. ENCHELYCORE NIGRICANS. 
Murcvna unicolor maxillis elongatis teretiusculis, inferiore lovgiore, etc.,Gronow, Zoophyl., 
163, 1763 (South America). 
Mnrcena nigricans Bonnaterre, Encycl. M6th. Iehth., 34, 1788 (after Gronow). 
Mnrcenophis nigricans Lap^pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss,, v, 389, 1803 (after Bonuaterre). 
Enche/lycore nigricans Gunther, viii, 135, 1870 (Dominica ; Grenada; Barbadoes). 
Murcena anguina Gronow, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., 18, 1854 (rivers of South America), 
Enchelycore euryrhina Kaup, Apodes, 73, 1856 (no habitat). * [ f 
Gymnothorax nigrocastaneus Cope, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., 483, 1870 (St. Martin’s). 
Gymnothorax nmbrosus Poey, Ann. Lyc. Nat. Hist. N. Y., 1874, 67 (Havana). 
Habitat: Caribbean Sea. 
Etymology : Latin, blackish. 
This species is not uncommon in the Caribbean Sea. We have ex- 
amined three specimens in the IT. S. National Museum, 6026, collected 
by Dr. Gill at Barbadoes, 6124, without locality, and 33090, sent from 
Cuba by Poey. The latter specimen is doubtless the type of Gymno- 
thorax umbrosus Poey, which he .states has been sent to the Smithso- 
nian Institution. 
Cope’s nigrocastaneus is evidently an Enchelycore and agrees with 
nigricans except that the tail is said to be slightly shorter than rest of 
body. 
Genus 4.— PYTHONICHTHYS. 
? Enchelynassa Kaup, Ajiodes, 72, 1856 ( bJeelceri ). 
Pythonichthys Poey, Reportorio Fis. Nat. Cuba, II, 265, 1867 ( sanguineus ). 
Type : Pythonichthys sanguineus Poey. 
Etymology: UuOiov , a large snake; fish. 
This genus is based on a single West Indian species, which apparently 
differs from Gymnothorax only in the entire absence of nasal tubes. In 
Enchelynassa the posterior nostrils are represented as oval with raised 
margins. That genus may possibly be identical with Pythonichthys , 
rather than with Enchelycore. 
