122 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEU^I. 



Body scaleless. End of tail surrounded by a fin. Pectoral fins 

 well developed. Plainly colored grayish or dusky above, silvery 

 below and dorsal black-edged. 



Large marine eels found in most warm seas, usually at moder- 

 ate depths. Many of the species undergo a metamorphosis, the 

 young being loosely organized and transparent, band-shaped, and 

 with very small head. The body grows smaller with increased 

 age, owing to the compacting of the tissues. A single species on 

 our coast belonging to the typical genus Leptocephalus. 



Genus Te:ptocephai.us Scopoli. 

 The Conger Eels. 



Leptocephalus conger (Linnaeus). 



Conger. Conger Eel. Sea Eel. 



Conger. Lcptoccplialus conger (Limiseus). 



Head 6Vio ; <^^epth i8>^ : snout 4>4 in head; eye 7; mouth 

 3 ; interorbital space 7 ; pectoral 3 ; space between origins of 

 dorsal and anal nearly equals head i^ times. Body long, slen- 

 der, a little deeper or heavy forward and long tail tapering back. 

 Head depressed above and anteriorly pointed. Snout rather de- 

 pressed and produced beyond mandible. Eye elongate, rather 

 large, about first third in head. Mouth wide, extending to below 

 middle of eye. Teeth in outer series of each jaw equal and 

 close-set, forming a cutting-edge. Band of vomerine teeth short. 

 Tongue free in front. Lips rather broad and fleshy laterally^ 



