THE IttUR^ENID^;, OR EELS. 



221 



pectoral. Several of these fishes inhabit the Sicilian 

 shores ; and they are richly coloured with silver reflec- 

 tions, very different from the lurid hues of the true eels. 

 Another extraordinary form is seen in our Leptognathus 

 oxyrhynchut,- {jig. 42.), which immediately reminds us 



of haurida, Sphyrcena, and all such analogous types; it 

 has the pectoral fins of Anguilla, but with the naked tail 

 of Opkisurus Lacep. : this, also, seems one of the rare Si- 

 cilian fishes unknown to modern writers. Several others 

 will be found designated by professor Rafinesque. The 

 next sub-family of Murcenince contains those eels which 

 are altogether destitute of a pectoral fin ; but the two 

 branchial spiracles are placed, one on each side, in the 

 same situation as the last. The name of this division is 

 taken from those species which were so highly esteemed 

 by the Romans ; and therefore M. Cuvier has very pro- 

 perly rejected those of more recent nomenclators. * 

 Among these there are even more variations than in the 

 Anguillince, not merely in the structure of the teeth, but 

 in the form and relative proportion of their fins. The 



most typical have the 



dorsal and anal united : 

 but in the singular 

 genus Dalophis Raf. 

 (fig. 43.), with which 

 M. Cuvier says he is 

 not acquainted, the 

 end of the tail is com- 

 pletely naked (a), as 

 in our Leptognathus; 

 while in Nettastoma Raf., which was likewise un- 



* Gymnothorax Bloch ; Murcenopsis Lac. ; Anguilla Raf. 



