620 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
PISOODONOPHIS Species. 
Dr. Giiutber (viii, 78) mentions a half-grown eel from Grenada, West 
Indies, which he regards as closely allied to Pisoodonophis boro of the 
Chinese and East Indian seas. ‘ f At present Ido not think myself 
justified in separating this single specimen from P. boro , which varies 
rather considerably in the relative proportion of the parts of the body.” 
If the specimen really came from the West Indies, it will be probably 
found to be different from P. boro . 
Of P. boro we have one specimen from Swatow, China. The species 
has the head contained about four times in the very long trunk, and 
the vertical fins are very low. Color, plain brown. 
m 
Genus 11.— CALLECHELYS. 
Callechelys Kaup, Apodes, 28, 1856 ( guichenoti ). 
Type : Callechelys guiclienoti Kaup. 
Etymology: I(aX6 c, beautiful; eel. 
This genus contains one American and three East Indian species, 
agreeing in the elongate, compressed body, absence of pectoral fins, 
and anterior insertion of the dorsal. In other respects Callechelys is 
close to Ophichthus. 
The American species, Callechelys murcena , considerably resembles 
the East Indian marmoratus and may be considered as a typical Calle- 
chelys. The other American species hitherto referred to Callechelys 
diverge widely from this type and should apparently constitute a distinct 
genus, which we have called Bascaniclithys , though in the development 
of the pectorals one of these (scuticaris) is distinctly intermediate. 
ANALYSIS OF THE AMERICAN SPECIES OF CALLECHELYS. 
a. Depth, of body at gill-openings a little more than length of upper jaw, which is 
3 in head ; head 8 in trunk, about 14 in total length ; eye small, 2 in snout, placed 
over the middle of upper jaw ; tip of lower jaw extending a little before the front 
of eye; gill-openings small, inferior, sublongitudinal, the distance between them 
about half the height of one of them ; dorsal fin beginning on the head, at a dis- 
tance behind the angle of the mouth, a little more than half the length of upper 
jaw. Dark olive, closely mottled and spotted with confluent blotches of darker 
olive and blackish, the spots more distinct anteriorly, posteriorly confluent, so 
that the tail is nearly plain dusky ; belly scarcely paler, dorsal and anal chiefly 
blackish with pale margins Murcena, 53. 
53, CALLECHELYS MURiENA. 
Callechelys murcena Jordan & Evermann, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 466, 1886 (Snapper 
Banks off Pensacola, Fla.). 
Habitat: Deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 
Etymology: Murcena , from the general resemblance of the species 
to a young Moray. 
This species is known from a single specimen taken at the Snapper 
