THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 123 



Posterior nostril near eye, anterior near tip of snout with short 

 tube. Gill-opening rather large, low. Dorsal inserted about first 

 fifth in length of body. Color brown, paler below. Confiuent 

 dorsal, caudal and anal pale brown with a narrow black margin. 

 Pectoral pale brown. Length ii}i inches. Atlantic City. 



I have but 2 small examples from the above locality. It is 

 said to reach a length of 8 feet and be a food-fish of importance. 

 A large example is in the Wistar Institute of Anatomy in Phila- 

 delphia received from Sea Isle City. Dr. Dahlgren reports 2 

 or 3, about 6 feet long-, taken with tautog-bait on rocky bottom 

 off Avon. 



Conger conger Bean, Bull. U. S'. F. Com., 1887, p. 150. — 

 Smith, Bull. U. S. F. Com. XII, 1892, p. 369. 



Conger Occident alls Baird, 9th An. Rep. Smiths. Inst., 1854, 

 p. 351.— Abbott, Geol. N. J,, 1868, p. 825. 



Isognatha oceanica Abbot, 1. c. 



Family MUR^NID^. 

 The Morays. 



Head conic. Jaws usually narrow and armed with knife-like, 

 or else molar, teeth. Occipital region elevated through develop- 

 ment of muscles moving lower jaw. Opercular apparatus fully 

 developed. Branchial apertures lateral, small and round. Eth- 

 moid bone long and wide. Interbranchial slits restricted. Bran- 

 chial skeleton very imperfect, and fourth branchial arch modified, 

 strengthened and supporting pharyngeal jaws. Body and fins 

 covered with a thick leathery scaleless skin. Diversified vertical 

 fins. Pectoral normally absent. 



Morays inhabit tropical and subtropical waters, especially in 

 the rocks about coral reefs. Many are very voracious and 

 pugnacious. They reach a large size and are strikingly colored. 

 The form here recorded, evidently a waif from tropical waters 

 in the Gulf Stream. 



