MCCULLOCH. 33 



Eels.— Order APODES. 

 Form Eel-like. Two gill-openings which are lateral in position. 

 A. Body covered with minute scales. Family Anguillidae (No. xlvi.) . 



AA. Body naked- 



B. Tip of tail surrounded by fin-membranes. 

 C. Posterior nostril superior or lateral. 

 D. Pectoral fin present. 



E. Canine teeth on jaws and vomer. 



Family Afitraeiiesocidae (No. xlvii.) . 



EE. No canine teeth. Family Leptocephalidae (No. xlviii.). 



DD. No pectoral fins. Family Muraenidae (No. xlix.). 



CC. Posterior nostril in upper lip near the eye. Family Echelidae (No. 1.). 



BB. Tip of tail free, without fin-membranes. Family Ophichthyidae (No. li.) . 



XLVI. Family Angtjillidae. 



77. Axguilla Shaw. Gen. Zool. iv, 1803. p. 15 (vulgaris). 



77a. A. australis. Short-finxed Eel. Id. Rich., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1841, p. 



22, and Ichth. Ereb. & Terr. 1848, p. 112, pi. 45, 1-5. (PL viii.). 

 Abundant in all coastal rivers and adjoining fresh waters, and descending to 

 the sea to breed. 



77b. A. reixiiardtii. Long-finned Eel. Id. Stdr., S.B. Akad. Wiss. YVieu 



lv. i, 1867, p. 15, fig. a-b. 

 Distinguished from the preceding species only by having the dorsal fin 

 extending farther forward. Length to over 4 feet. 



XLVII. Family MURAENESOCIDAE. 



78. AIuraenesOx McClelland, Calc. Journ. X. Hist, iv, 1843, p. 408 (tricusp 

 data). 

 78a. M. ciNERErs. Silver Eel. Mwaena cinerea Forsk., Descr. 



M. CINEREUS. Silver Eel. Muraena cinerea Forsk., Deser > ^Asrim v , 

 1775, p. 22. Muraenesox bagio Blkr.. Atlas Ichth., iv, 1864, jtf^pl^lu 1 , tn Hf/ 

 2. (PL viii.). 



A tropical species. Length to five feet. _ »- , n 



kr W 2M9zs 



XLVIII. Family Leptocephalidae. ^s^W/'n 



A. Teeth of jaws juxtaposed to form a cutting edge. ' Lep/ocep/iaTfts-^ 



AA. Jaw-teeth in bands, not forming a cutting edge. Congermaraena (80 



79. Leptocephalus Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i. 3, 1789, p. 1150 (morrisii) . 

 79a. L. labiatus. Conger Eel. Conger labiatus Castelnau, P.L.S. N.S.W. 



iii, 1879, p. 396. 

 Scarcely distinguishable from the well known Conger of Europe. Length 

 to 3 feet. 



80. Congermubaena Kaup, Cat. Apod. Fish., 1856, p. 108 (balearica). 

 80a. C. habenata. Little Conger Eel. Congrus habenatus Rich., Ichth. 



Ereb. & Terr., 1849, p. 109, pi. 50, 1-5. (PL viii.). 

 Apparently common in deeper water, and sometimes thrown up on beaches 

 after storms. Lensd;h about 12 inches. 



