ii8 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



locality and at Beesley's Point it is abundant. It will take the 

 hook baited with flesh. Reaches a length of one foot and is not 

 used as a food-fish. 



Synodus foetens Ahhoii, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 821. — Bean, Bull. 

 U. S. F. Com., VII, 1887, p. 148.— Moore, Bull. U. S. F. Com., 

 XII, 1892, p. 359. 



Saurus mexicmms Baird, 9th An. Rep. Smiths. Inst., 1854, p. 

 346. 



Order APODES. 



The Eels. 

 Key to the families. 



a. (Bnchclyccphali.) Gill-openings well developed, leading to large inter- 

 branchial slits ; tongue present ; opercles and branchial bones well 

 developed. 

 b. Scales linear, arranged in small groups and placed obliquely at right 

 angles to those of neighboring groups, rudimentary and imbedded. 



ANGUILLIDyE 



bb. Scales wholly wanting. lEptocephaud.?: 



aa. (Coloccphali.) Gill-openings small, roundish, leading to restricted inter- 

 branchial slits; tongue wanting; opercles feebly developed. mur.Enida: 



Family ANGUILLID^. 



The Eels. 



Body elongate. Head conic. Maxillaries lateral. Teeth cardi- 

 form. Tongue distinct. A well-developed opercular apparatus. 

 Lateral branchial apertures vertical. Branchial skeleton nearly 

 perfect. Skin scaly. Vertical fins continuous with dorsal far 

 from head. Pectorals well developed. 



The single genus of living forms distributed widely in tropical 

 and temperate waters. They freely ascend all our fresh-waters 

 and descend to the sea for the purpose of reproduction. In the 

 latter they depart from the usual type in true fishes in the con- 

 cealed generation and development of minute ova. A single 

 species in most all our waters. 



