658 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
Genus 40.— HETEROCONGER. 
Heteroconger Bleeker, Versl. Med. Ak. Wet., Amsterdam, 331, 1868 {poly zona). 
Type: Heteroconger polyzona Bleeker. 
Etymology : ''Ezepoq, different; Conger. 
This singular genus contains two species, one from the East Indies, 
the other from the eastern Atlantic. 
ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIES OF HETEROCONGER. 
a . [Coloration uniform ; liead 5 in trunk ; tail more than twice as loug as head and 
trunk ; eye small ; vertical fins rather indistinct and low.] {Gunther.) 
Longissimus, 112. 
112. HETEROCONGER LONGISSIMUS. 
Heteroconger longissimus Gunther, vm, 45, 1870 (Lanzarote, Canary Islands). 
Habitat: Canary Islands. 
Etymology : Latin, excessively long. 
This species is known to us only from Giintker’s description. 
Family VIII. — CONGRID^E. 
(The Conger Eels.) 
This family includes those eels which are scaleless, and have the 
tongue largely free in front, the body moderately elongate, the end of 
the tail surrounded by a fin, the posterior nostril remote from the upper 
lip and near front of eye, and the pectoral fius well developed. All the 
species are plainly colored, grayish or dusky above, silvery below, and 
the dorsal edged with black. 
The three recognized genera are all represented within the limits of 
this paper. As, however, the osteology of most of the species is un- 
known, we can not say whether the Murcenesocidce and Echelidce should 
really be separated from this group, or whether possibly Heteroconger 
should be included in it. Bleeker places all these genera with Nettastoma 
and Nemichthys , also in his family of Gongroidei. Giiuther approximates 
Conger to Anguilla , while recognizing the allies ot Murcenesox , Echelus , 
Heteroconger , and Nemichthys as distinct subfamilies. Nettastoma he 
places with Neoconger and Murcenesox . 
ANALYSIS OF GENERA OF CONGRIDiE. 
a. Vomerine teeth uuiserial, some of them canine-like; maxillary teeth hi serial ; 
dorsal begiuning above root of pectoral; cleft of mouth extending beyond mid- 
dle of eye; tail very long and slender, about half longer than rest of body. 
IJROCONGER, 41. 
aa. Vomerine teeth in bands, none of them canine-like ; lips thick. 
5. Dorsal fin beginning over the gill-opening; bones of front of head with large 
muciferous cavities ; mouth rather small ; jaws with bands of small teeth, the 
outer not forming a cutting edge ; tail from half to two-thirds of total length. 
Ophisoma, 42. 
